The Maldives has been granted the status of a Dialogue Member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
The SCO is a security-related organization in which China, India, and Russia, among the world's most powerful countries, play an important role.
The decision to grant dialogue membership to the Maldives was reached at the Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, from 27-28 July 2022. However, the decision was approved at the SCO summit in Uzbekistan on Friday. In addition to the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Egypt were granted SCO dialogue member status.
The Maldives has been working to join the SCO for three years. Therefore, the status of a dialogue member of the SCO is a step forward in the efforts to gain membership of the organization. The Maldives government believes that SCO membership will give the Maldives the opportunity to play a leading role in regional and economic development.
The SCO mainly consists of Asian and European countries. The group already accounts for 40 percent of the world's population.
