Salman Khurshid meets SCO Secretary General, discuss regional issues

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Monday met Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Dmitry Mezentsev and discussed regional and multilateral issues.

The SCO is concerned with security and economic cooperation among the Eurasian countries.

India became observer at the SCO since 2005 and has participated at the ministerial level. Apart from India, Iran and Pakistan also became observers at the 2005 Astana Summit.

India has indicated to play a more constructive and larger role in the SCO when it is expanded.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was founded by Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan at a summit in Shanghai in 2001.