Will Ensure India Gets Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Membership: Russian Parliamentary Delegation

Russia today said it is making all efforts to ensure India gets full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as it pitched for greater collaboration among the two countries and China.

Sergey Naryshkin, chairman of Russian Parliament (Duma), said the two countries also discussed the possibility of a parliamentary forum of BRICS nations.

"Russia is making all efforts and in the SCO summit certain decisions will be taken to ensure India's full fledged membership at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation," he said.

"We suggested to create a regular forum of BRICS parliamentarians. Whether this form will grow in regular assembly or any other sort of organisation...we will see,"  he told reporters.

Mr Naryshkin was speaking on the sidelines of an event. SCO is a grouping founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India is an Observer in the organisation.

The next SCO meeting is expected to take place in July this year.

India had last year submitted a formal application for full membership of the SCO.

Being one of the largest energy consumers in the world, it feels getting the SCO membership will help it participate in major gas and oil exploration projects in Central Asia. The SCO has amongst its members some of the largest energy producers in the world.

India also feels as SCO member, it will be able to play a major role in addressing the threat of terrorism in the region. India is keen to deepen its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure which specifically deals issues relating to security and defence.

India has been an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated at the ministerial-level at summits of the grouping which focuses mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian space.

Mr Naryshkin, who is leading a delegation of Russian legislators, said the two countries also discussed procedures practised in both the houses, which can benefit each other.

During his visit, he also met President Pranab Mukherjee, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Vice President Hamid Ansari, who is also the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

He also pitched for greater cooperation among India, Russia and China.

"We also discussed Russia, India, China troika which is becoming a factor in international life and ensuring international stability and security.

"Such formats (cooperation between the three) serve as important sense of security in region and once again impossibilty of creating unipolarity in the world.

"Strengthening relations with India, Russia and China strengthens security in the world," Mr Naryshkin said.