Saudi Arabia joins Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

Agencies | Riyadh                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet has approved a memorandum granting the country the status of a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), according to the state news agency SPA, as reported by Reuters.

The SCO is a political and security union of countries across Eurasia, including China, India, and Russia. Originally formed in 2001 by Russia, China, and former Soviet states in Central Asia, the organization has expanded to include India and Pakistan.

Sources informed Reuters that during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia in December 2022, joining the SCO was discussed. As a first step, the dialogue partner status will be granted to Saudi Arabia before being considered for full membership in the mid-term.

Last year, Iran signed documents for full membership. In addition, Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) announced its multi-billion dollar investment in China on Tuesday, which included a planned joint venture in northeast China and acquiring a stake in a privately controlled petrochemical group. Finally, the SCO member countries have planned a joint “counter-terrorism exercise” in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region in August 2023.