The final declaration adopted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State at its summit notes important signs that the organisation’s authority in the world is increasing, such as the December 2004 decision to grant the SCO observer status at the United Nations General Assembly, and the signing of memorandums of understanding between the SCO and ASEAN and the SCO and the CIS in April, 2005.
The decision to give Pakistan, Iran and India observer status in the SCO will expand the organisation’s possibilities for developing multilateral and mutually beneficial cooperation in many different areas.
As the summit concluded, President Vladimir Putin noted that the SCO has proven itself a sustainable and viable organisation and is gaining authority as an important regional international organisation.