With China's Silk Road initiative, SCO eyes bigger global role

MOSCOW -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will combine national development strategies with the China-proposed Silk Road Economic Belt initiative and work for deeper involvement in global affairs, its secretary-general said Tuesday.

"A 10-year strategy has been drafted by the Russian side. It is expected to be adopted during the SCO summit in (Russia's) Ufa," Dmitry Mezentsev said a day ahead of the opening of the 10th session of the SCO Forum in the western Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiisk.

"The strategy will be the SCO's proclamation for deeper and wider participation in global affairs," and combine the national economic strategies of SCO members with the big Silk Road Economic Belt project, he said.

With regard to the expansion of the organization, Mezentsev said the issue will be discussed in the nearest future and there are no legal hurdles for that.

"Specific decisions need to be made at the level of leaders of SCO member countries," he added.

Founded in 2001, the SCO comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as full members, with Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as observers and Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka as dialogue partners.

Russia holds the rotating presidency of the SCO in 2015.