MOSCOW. June 4 (Interfax) - SCO will definitely expand, probably, through the admission of India and Pakistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.
"It is clear that it is possible to effectively resist regional security threats only jointly, through collective efforts. In this context we don't see any alternative to the enlargement of SCO the interest in which in our region and beyond is steadily growing," he said in an interview with Xinhua agency ahead of the visit to China of President Vladimir Putin who will attend a SCO summit there.
"We are convinced that the admission of such countries as India and Pakistan that are observer-nations at the moment will significantly strengthen the potential of SCO and increase its international influence. Fresh blood will give the organization additional energy and promote its modernization," Lavrov said.
He said that a set of issues related to the increase in the number of SCO members is now being thrashed out.
"The coordination of financial, legal and administrative conditions for the admission of new members is under way. This is the necessary 'homework' which any international organization has to do ahead of the expansion of its ranks," the minister said.
He added that the number of observer-nations and partners in the dialogue with SCO is also growing.
"We were happy to receive official requests from Afghanistan to grant it observer status and Turkey - the status of a partner in the dialogue. We hope that the heads of SCO countries will support the applications at the summit in Beijing," Lavrov said.