Five more countries want to join SCO - secretary general
BEIJING. June 14 (Interfax) - Five more countries have applied to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), its Secretary General Rashid Alimov said.
An Eastern European country, three Middle Eastern countries and a Southeast Asian country have sent applications to join the SCO as dialogue partners, Alimov said, without mentioning the names of the countries as "the issue is still at the development stage."
Alimov did not rule out that more applications to join the SCO may be received soon, as a Southeast Asian nation showed interest at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi in May.
Receipt of applications to join the SCO proves the high international authority of the SCO and its attractiveness, he said.
Alimov met with a group of journalists from 18 countries that are either observers or dialogue partners of the SCO at the organization's headquarters in Beijing. The Chinese committee for good neighborliness, friendship and cooperation organized the journalists' visit on the occasion of the SCO's 15 anniversary.