SCO policy and new members: 2018 and its perspective

Abstract

The article expresses doubt in the development of the «Shanghai Spirit» in the context of the admission to this organization (SCO) of two new members — India and Pakistan. This doubt is substantiated by a number of historical facts that are updated in the article for 2017–2018. The perspective of these events continued in 2019, when the conflict between India and Pakistan broke out due to Jammu and Kashmir, in which dozens of people were killed. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is built primarily to overcome terrorist threats in the relevant region. The conflict between India and Pakistan indicated that the «Shanghai spirit» was called in question precisely because of the terrorist structure located in Pakistan. The policy of the SCO, from our point of view, requires either returning to the forgotten traditions of the «Shanghai Five», when the troops were unconditionally withdrawn from the conflict lines by 50 km. On the other hand, the SCO leadership structures should, taking into account the current aggravation, develop a new roadmap that is consistent with the presence of the conflicting parties in the SCO. The authors of this article give a of recommendations of a private nature regarding the streamlining of the activities of the SCO until 2025.