Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari is seeking his country's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) regional security bloc, Pakistani state television said on Wednesday.
Pakistan, as well as Iran, India and Mongolia, have observer status in the SCO regional security group that comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
"We are seeking full-fledged membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization so that Pakistan could be more actively involved in the activity of this organization in keeping peace and maintaining economic development in the region," Zardari was quoted as saying at a meeting with SCO Secretary General Bolat Nurgaliyev in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Zardari explained the membership was important due to the spreading threat of extremism and terrorism. One of the goals of the Shanghai group is to jointly combat terrorism.
Pakistan, where some 2,500 people have been killed in terror attacks over the past 2 1/2 years, has declared the fight against terrorism a national priority.
The Pakistani leader also praised the SCO's role in consolidating regional economic contacts, the country's state TV said.
Apart from security issues, the SCO group, established in 2001, has recently moved to encompass economic and energy projects.
NEW DELHI, December 9 (RIA Novosti)
