India, Pak will start procedure of joining security bloc, says China

China has said India and Pakistan will start the procedure of joining a security bloc this week led by Russia and China at a summit in Russia.

According to the Dawn, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping was quoted, as saying that as the influence of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) expands, more nations will be brought in.

He also said that India and Pakistan will have significant roles to play in furthering the growth of the SCO and the push for improving bilateral ties.

China, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are part of the SCO while India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Mongolia are observers.