Dhaka keen to join Shanghai cooperation body as observer

Bangladesh has expressed its interest to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as an observer.
The organisation is comprised of four central Asian states and Russia and China.
Iran, Mongolia, India and Pakistan are its observers.
Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, now in Russia, expressed the interest in an interview with "Russia Today" television show, the Russian counterpart of BBC's "Hard Talk", in Moscow on Monday night.
Currently, there is a moratorium on the expansion of the number of SCO's observers, but the foreign adviser said he has received an assurance from Russian authorities that they will support Bangladesh as soon as the moratorium is lifted.
"We've excellent bilateral relations with each of the SCO member-states. We can make a huge contribution to this organisation in political and economic terms," he said.