Countries free from UN sanctions may join SCO - draft document

TASHKENT, June 10 (Itar-Tass) - Countries under the UN sanctions or in
a military conflict will not be able to join the Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation.
Participants is the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
/SCO/ will discuss this norm over their meeting, which opens in Tashkent
on Thursday, Russia's presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said.
According to the draft document, "a country seeking membership in the
organisation should belong to the Euro-Asian region, have diplomatic
relations with all member countries, have a status of the SCO observer or
partner, support active /substantive/ trade, economic and humanitarian
relations with the member nations, should not be under the UN sanctions
and should not be in a military conflict with other state or states."
The consolidated document was worked out by a group of experts on the
basis of Russia's suggestions and it was approved, a well-informed source
said.
"Once this political document is approved by the leaders of the
states, the organisation will be able to work out political, legal,
organisational and financial matters related to a possible expanding of
the organisation," Prikhodko said. "Until recently, the organisation has
not had any instruments for expanding."
According to Chapter 13 of the SCO Charter, "the organisation is open
for other countries in the region."
Back in 2006, Pakistan sent an official request to join the SCO. In
2007 and 2008, Iran followed suit.
In May 2006, the Foreign Ministers Council of the member states agreed
with Kazakhstan's suggestion to have a temporary moratorium on new members
and observers. This decision was supported by the Council of national
leaders in Shanghai in June 2006 and in Bishkek in August 2007.
In 2008, the Dushanbe summit adopted Russia's initiative to organise a
special group of experts to discuss the expanding of the organisation. The
decision was included in a communique.
As the new regulations are adopted, a requesting country should
address its application to the chairman of the Council of national leaders
via the president of the Foreign Ministers' Council.
A draft of the final document of the summit has a thesis that "member
countries agree it is necessary to continue the work on the legal base to
expand the Organisation," and "the Council of national coordinators should
work out a basic memorandum on the legal, organisational and financial
aspects of the membership for countries joining the organisation."
-0-kar/gor