Nepal on 22 March 2016 became a dialogue partner of the Beijing-based regional security grouping, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
- Nepal was officially made a dialogue partner after a memorandum was signed during the Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli visit to China.
- As a dialogue partner, Nepal will be able to participate in the multi-field cooperation of the Organisation.
- Beside Nepal, Azerbaijan also officially became a SCO dialogue partner on 21 March 2016 upon the signing of a similar memorandum.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
- SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization which was established on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
- India, Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan are observer states.
- Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are the dialogue partners of the organization before the recently joined Nepal and Azerbaijan.
- Its prototype is the Shanghai Five mechanism.
Main goals of the SCO are
- Strengthening mutual confidence and good-neighbourly relations among the member countries;
- Promoting effective cooperation in politics, trade and economy, science and technology, culture as well as education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection and other fields;
- Making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region, moving towards the establishment of a new, democratic, just and rational political and economic international order.
