The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an alliance which was founded on the basis of the Shanghai Five (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia). Its priority and founding principle is security and stability in the Greater Central Asian

The inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001 led to the renaming of the organisation, which could now be set to expand. The possible membership of Iran, India, Mongolia and Pakistan has been discussed at recent sessions of the SCO. Iran has applied for full membership in March 2008, but was told it can’t join.

Meanwhile countries like Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Belarus and Armenia have attended various SCO summits as guests.

Though the organisation is relatively new, it is rapidly growing in importance. It gives a platform for greater cooperation between the member and observer states, with leaders meeting each other both face to face and in the format of roundtable discussions.

According to the charter of the SCO, it meets annually with a rotating presidency. At each summit, which are attended by heads of state and foreign ministers, they focus on issues of security and stability in the region, including boosting economic cooperation and fighting drug trafficking.

Extraordinary meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers may be called by any two member states.