The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with India, Pakistan, Mongolia and Iran holding observer status.

“The expansion of the SCO is so far not on the agenda, but a relevant decision is quite possible. A larger SCO would be more influential, but it is clear that expansion will be a long and relatively complicated process,” Nikonov said on Tuesday at a video conference on the SCO’s role in modern civilization organized by RIA Novosti.

The analyst said that the SCO observers are widely different countries with different interests in the organization.

“For example, Iran is interested in becoming a full member, viewing it as a guarantee of its security,” he said. “But the other countries may not be ready to extend such a guarantee at this point. Or take the new Mongolian leadership, which is said to be pro-Western, but we cannot be sure of its position regarding the SCO after the elections” in late May.

Nikonov said there were major contradictions between the SCO observer countries. In his words, differences between India and Pakistan are especially large and could complicate the SCO expansion.

“Of course, if one of them is admitted to the SCO and the other is not, the latter country is unlikely to keep its observer status,” the analyst said. “Therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility of SCO expansion, but I do not think it will happen soon.”