The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) announced that the UAE and Kuwait have been granted dialogue partner status, as well as the Maldives and Myanmar.Â
The Emirati Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressed his country’s shared goals with the organization, stating that the UAE intends to make significant progress in its engagement with the SCO and its member states. The minister added that the UAE is honored to be welcomed as a dialogue partner in an organization that continues to grow in global significance.
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Kuwait’s ambassador in New Delhi, Jassim Al Najem, sees this as the first step towards full membership and believes that this move aligns with Kuwait’s significant foreign policy objectives. The ambassador stated that Kuwait places great importance on areas such as trade, economic cooperation, global supply chain, and food and energy security.Â
Established in 2001, the SCO expanded to include India and Pakistan. In September 2022, during the organization’s annual summit held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain were welcomed as dialogue partners.
In March, the Saudi Arabian Cabinet approved its decision to join the SCO.
As per the organization’s website, the SCO’s dialogue partner status permits countries to participate in specialized intra-SCO events by invitation from member states.
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