The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional security body, is keen to step up and consolidate its relations with India in all spheres, including in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and economic cooperation, a senior official said.

"All SCO member states show deep respect for India and her peaceful foreign policy, our countries share common positions and closely interact on multiple international issues. It is well seen through the progress of bilateral relations," Secretary-General of the Beijing-based SCO, Bolat Nurgaliev, said.

The SCO, founded in the east Chinese metropolis of Shanghai on June 15, 2001, aims to promote regional security and fight against terrorism. It comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India became an ’observer’ of the SCO in 2005 along with Iran, Pakistan. Mongolia is also an observer.

"I think that our competent services could cooperate more closely in fighting terrorism and illegal trafficking of narcotics, there is great potential for developing economic cooperation," Nurgaliev told here in an interview.

"Against the backdrop of what has been happening in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, the stable development of SCO member states and India, their multilateral cooperation can become an important factor in the process of building a just and equal world order," he said.

Nurgaliev has served as a diplomat of the erstwhile Soviet Union in India from 1990-92. He was Vice Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan and the country’s Ambassador to the United States, South Korea and Japan before being appointed as the Secretary General of the SCO in January this year.

Asked whether India has sought to upgrade its status in SCO from an observer to a full member, Nurgaliev declined to comment, citing confidentiality.

"We have received requests from a number of states to obtain membership of the SCO. I shall not name these states - first their consent is required; second, the process of considering their applications has not yet been completed."

However, an important conclusion can be drawn is that the vigorous development of the SCO and the noble goals the organisation set for itself make the SCO attractive for multi-lateral cooperation, he said.

The SCO Secretary-General said that the organisation has established good working relations with India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan. "We expect it to be complementary and beneficial to all parties. Our contacts with the observers at different levels have indicated their great interest in cooperating with the SCO."

On the role of SCO, Nurgaliev said the organisation was founded to maintain peace and security and fight terrorism.

He said the organisation has held concrete activities in maintaining peace and security while combating terrorism in Central Asia region.

"The concrete activity in those areas has a stabilising effect on the SCO region and neighbouring regions alike. It is obvious that in the past six years the consistent policy of the SCO in fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism has yielded positive results and provided the member states with good prospects for economic and social development."