A Study on Possibilities and Potentials for SCO Expansion: Iran and Afghanistan

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has grown in stature and influence in the security landscape of Asia since it was founded in 2001. Moreover, a fifth of the global population lives inside the borders of its six member nations. Its founding members, Russia and China, both have permanent seats on "the UN Security Council." Neither the Forum nor its members are part of any military or political alliance directed towards any other country or region. Over the last decade, its efforts to confront separatism, extremism, and terrorism have grown to encompass military collaboration, information sharing, and counterterrorism training. The Organization's focus in recent years has broadened to include economic concerns, particularly energy security, which is crucial to its members and to the whole area. The accession to full membership of the five observer countries (Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Mongolia, and Iran) has the potential to transform the Shanghai Cooperation Organization from a regional organization into a global one. The present paper focused on SCO expansion and the possibilities of Iran and Afghanistan's chances through the prism of a realistic approach.