Shanghai Cooperation Organization: A Preliminary

Abstract

The extension of the power of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) into Eastern Europe and Central Asia after the dissolution of the USSR was an aggressive factor which spurred Russia and China toward mutual military cooperation and a decision to create the “Shanghai 5” Alliance, together with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in 1997. Before admitting Uzbekistan as a member in 2005, the name of this new entity was changed to the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization” (SCO). The SCO is an international body representing vast areas and populations, as well as tremendous natural gas and petroleum resources. The organization is in the process of expanding its cooperative networks in terms of both security and membership – including Iran- with a common agreement not to cite human rights or democracy as an excuse to interfere in one another’s internal affairs. Also, they agree to jointly fight or to resist threats. When the group’s striking geopolitical advantages are taken into consideration, the SCO must be seen as an important variable in the international scene today which ought not to be overlooked.