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SCO to up cooperation with observer members - President Putin

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Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would increase collaboration with countries that hold observer status in the regional-security organization.

SHANGHAI, June 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would increase collaboration with countries that hold observer status in the regional-security organization.

"When we discussed issues on the regional agenda it was mentioned that the SCO will practically develop cooperation with observer states - India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia," Putin said at the annual SCO heads-of-state summit in Shanghai.

He added that the SCO also intended to cooperate with Afghanistan, and that a contact group with the country had been already formed.

The SCO was set up in 1991 as a regional security organization by Russia and China plus four former Soviet republics in Central Asia - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran, Pakistan, India and Mongolia currently have observer status, but have expressed interest in becoming full members of the organization, and are all attending the summit.

Putin said the openness of SCO member states had attracted international attention to the organization.

"The interest of countries as well as of regional organizations in the activities of the SCO continues to increase," Putin said. "This interest proves that the constructive and open positions of member states, and the equal and mutually beneficial nature of our partnership, are highly attractive."

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