Welcoming the decision, the government stated that the recognition would provide Nepal opportunities to have more interactions and cooperation with SCO member states especially in the areas of trade, energy, economy, culture, tourism, environment and security. It would also help forge mutually beneficial partnerships with the organisation.

The SCO meeting took in India and Pakistan as new members of the China-led block established in 2001.

Nepal applied for the dialogue partner status in 2007. Armenia, Azerbaijan and Cambodia are the other dialogue partners.

Friday’s decision paved the way for Nepal to become a full member of the SCO in future but the country is yet to apply for it.

“The government of Nepal would like to thank all the member countries of the SCO—China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan—for their decision. Nepal expresses its commitment to work together in order to realise the objectives of the organisation,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Headquartered in Beijing, the SCO is an intergovernmental international organisation with basic principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equal rights, consultations, respect for the diversity of cultures and aspiration towards the common development.