Pakistan To Get Full Membership of SCO with Russian Endorsement

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced that his country will endorse the Pakistani request for the full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Russian PM announced this after the speech of the Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani at the 10th Heads of Government meeting of SCO.

Both Russia and China have agreed to to include Pakistan and India into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as full members.

The Vladimir Putin also announced financing $500 million to help build "Central Asia South Asia Electricity Trade and Transmission Project (CASA 1000)" power transmission line from Turkmenistan Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan.

After the his meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Gilani, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, “Pakistan is important for us in trade and economy and it is an important partner in South Asia and in Islamic world.”

Russia has also offered to help Pakistan in execution of Thar Coal Project, expansion of Pakistan Steel Mills,   technical cooperation for the Guddu and Muzaffargarh power plants.

Both countries has also expressed their willingness to speed up the work for the Free Trade Agreement and currency swap arrangement to increase the bilateral trade. Russian side also showed interest in leasing the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ) aircraft to the Pakistan International Airlines.