UFA, July 8. /TASS/. The process of India's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is beginning, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday.

Putin said it was "a very important event."

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent regional association founded in Shanghai, China, on June 15, 2001. Its priority tasks include joint counteraction to terrorism and extremism; cooperation in education as well as in the energy, oil and gas, transport, communication and other spheres.

At present, the SCO comprises Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have an observer status while Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are partners for dialogue.