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Urupoint (7 February 2019)

The political course of Sri Lanka is aimed at increasing the level of its participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the country's ambassador to Russia, Dayan Jayatilleka, told Sputnik on Thursday.

"We have always considered the SCO a very important organization. Regardless of the composition of the cabinet [of ministers], we have always worked to increase the level of our participation in the organization. So it is quite possible that we will increase the level of our cooperation, although the time frame has not yet been determined. But the direction is exactly that," the ambassador said.

He recalled that Sri Lanka had already increased its level of cooperation to the status of dialogue partner at the SCO summit in Yekaterinburg in 2009.

The SCO, established in 2001, comprises China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as permanent members. Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia have an observer status, while Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka have the status of dialogue partner. The SCO states cooperate on a number of issues, including those pertaining to the economy, security, culture and science.

https://www.urdupoint.com/en/business/sri-lanka-aims-to-increase-level-of-participa-547719.html