ISLAMABAD, July 17. /ITAR-TASS/. Pakistan is still very eager to become a full-fledged member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), spokesperson of the country’s Foreign Ministry, Tasnim Aslam, told ITAR-TASS at a news briefing on Thursday.

“Pakistan participates in the activity of the organisation as an observer state. We consider SCO a convenient forum to discuss the topical issues of regional agenda and we are really looking forward to being officially admitted to the organisation as a full-fledged member”, she said regarding the forthcoming SCO summit, scheduled this September in Dushanbe.

Earlier, the current Pakistani National Security Adviser, Sartaj Aziz, told ITAR-TASS that Islamabad planed to keep on struggling for the SCO full-fledged membership after the new admission rules were adopted at the SCO summit in September, 2014.

“The Shanghai Organisation is able to promote peacekeeping and ease tensions in Afghanistan, for many countries in the region have joined it. The Afghanistan situation will be one of the major topics on the agenda at the SCO Dushanbe summit”, Pakistani adviser stressed.

At the moment the Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes six member countries: Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, China, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan have the status of observer states, while Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners.