India, Pakistan to join security group led by Russia, China

President Vladimir Putin announced yesterday that India and Pakistan will join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group dominated by Russia and China and also including former Soviet republics in Central Asia.

Russia sees the organization, expanding for the first time since its creation in 2001, as a counterweight to Western alliances.

Membership in the group potentially offers India greater access to the energy resources of Central Asia. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has combined his attendance at the summit in Russia with visits to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Putin opened the annual summit by announcing the acceptance of India and Pakistan as members. He said Belarus would obtain observer status, joining Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia, while Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal would be welcomed as "dialogue partners."

The SCO leaders expressed hope that Iran also would soon become a member, but said Tehran first needed to reach an international agreement on curbing its nuclear program, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin said some of the greatest security threats facing the region emanated from Afghanistan, noting the increased activity of the Islamic State group. He said the leaders agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation and to work together to fight drug trafficking from Afghanistan.

The Russian president also talked about plans to deepen economic and trade ties.

"It is obvious that together we can more effectively resist crisis events in the world economy and finance, more easily overcome restrictions and barriers of various kinds," Putin said. "We think the development of cooperation in production of food, transport, energy and financial security is important."

Meanwhile, India and Pakistan yesterday decided to revive the stalled dialogue process and find ways to expedite trial of the Mumbai attack case as Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif agreed to cooperate to eliminate terrorism from South Asia.

 Modi and Sharif met for nearly one hour in Ufa on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and discussed entire gamut of issues between the two countries.

Foreign Secretaries S. Jaishankar and Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry held a joint press meet where they read out a joint statement on the outcome of the meeting between the two leaders.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz will meet in New Delhi to discuss all issues connected to terrorism, said the joint statement.

"Both sides agreed to discuss ways and means to expedite the Mumbai atack trial, including additional information like providing voice samples," the statement said.

 Modi accepted Sharif's invitation to visit Pakistan for the Saarc Summit in 2016.

"They agreed that India and Pakistan have a collective responsibility to ensure peace and promote development. To do so, they are prepared to discuss all outstanding issues," the statement said.

Both sides also agreed to hold early meetings of DG BSF and DG Pakistan Rangers followed by that of Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs).

It was decided to release fishermen in each other's custody, along with their boats, within a period of 15 days.

A mechanism for facilitating religious tourism will also be worked out, as per the five-point "steps" to be taken by the two sides.

The two leaders warmly shook hands and posed for the shutterbugs before settling down for the talks.