China for early accession of India, Pak to SCO

Beijing [China], Mar. 14 (ANI: China has said it looks forward to the early accession of India and Pakistan to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). "China looks forward to the early accession of India and Pakistan to the SCO as full members so that they will work with existent members to contribute to security, stability, common development and common prosperity of the region, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference on Monday. Her remarks came following reports that the SCO is likely to grant full membership to Pakistan and India in its next Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. "The memorandum on the obligations for India and Pakistan to obtain membership in the SCO was signed at the SCO Tashkent Summit in 2016. Currently, all sides are going through relevant legal procedures in accordance with the memorandum," she added. She said both India and Pakistan are China's important neighbours and important countries in South Asia, adding Beijing hopes that the two countries can enhance mutual trust and improve relations through dialogue. (ANI)