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Shanghai Organisation holds fifth summit meeting

Pallavi Aiyar

Seen as an opportunity for the regional grouping to project its power

BEIJING: On Thursday, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its fifth summit meeting in China's financial capital — Shanghai. The gala event featuring red carpets and televised handshakes was an opportunity for the regional grouping to project power and congratulate itself on the achievements of the past five years.

The SCO, which was founded in 2001, is one of China's first concerted forays into international diplomacy. In his speech at the summit meeting, Chinese President Hu Jintao proposed the formation of a convention to consolidate "the foundations of political trust, unity and coordination among SCO member states."

10 documents signed

The heads of the SCO countries signed ten documents during the summit on a broad range of issues including information security, anti-terrorism measures and economic and financial cooperation.

An agreement on joint anti-terrorism actions among member countries was also signed. The SCO has been holding joint military drills — which it claims are aimed at enhancing counter-terrorism cooperation — since 2003. However, many western analysts have taken these activities as a sign that the group is emerging as a military consortium aimed at squeezing American influence in the region.

Mistrust

In an allusion to the mistrust with which some countries reportedly view the SCO, Mr. Hu said: "We hope the international community would respect the social system and road to development independently chosen by SCO member and observer countries, respect their internal and external policies of peace, friendship and cooperation."

`Victim of terrorism'

India was represented at the summit by Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, who described India as a "victim of terrorism" and promised to cooperate with other member countries in their attempts to combat terrorism.

He said that India was keen to associate itself fully with the SCO and identified energy security as a key area for mutual cooperation. For India, it is increasingly crucial to partner with oil-rich Central Asian states along with Russia as it is seeking to diversify its energy suppliers.

The presence of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the summit has been much in the spotlight. Iran, along with India, Pakistan and Mongolia has observer status at the SCO. Iran has been lobbying for permanent membership of the organisation which if granted would be a blow to U.S. attempts to brand the country as a pariah state.

Iran offer

In his televised speech at the meeting, Mr. Ahmadinejad offered energy cooperation to SCO member countries which according to analysts is an attempt on its part to win friends in what are troubled times.

The Iranian President said that Iran — the world's fourth largest oil producer — was ready to host a meeting of Energy Ministers from SCO countries to explore more effective cooperation in the exploration, exploitation, transport and processing of oil and gas. Iran is China's third-biggest supplier of crude oil.

Musharraf's call

Mr. Ahmadinejad made no reference to the nuclear situation in his speech.

Pakistan's President Mr. Pervez Musharraf also used the summit as an opportunity to argue for greater energy cooperation. He said that Pakistan would like to emerge as a hub for trade and economic cooperation for SCO nations. Mr. Musharraf also urged the organisation to accept Pakistan as a permanent member.

The SCO is a six-member organisation comprising Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in addition to China and Russia.

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