Russian President Vladimir Putin has named India, China and his own country as major players in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), days ahead of the bloc’s summit in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao. Putin said the eight-member bloc has evolved from a group that was launched to resolve border issues between China, Russia and erstwhile constituents of the Soviet Union into a powerful organisation with substantial resources. “The SCO member states account for one-fourth of the world’s GDP, 43% of the international population and 23% of the global territory,” Putin told China Media Group, which includes the CGTN English channel. He stressed on the “rapid economic growth of China, India and Russia, all of which are major players in the organisation”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has named India, China and his own country as major players in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), days ahead of the bloc’s summit in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao. Putin said the eight-member bloc has evolved from a group that was launched to resolve border issues between China, Russia and erstwhile constituents of the Soviet Union into a powerful organisation with substantial resources. “The SCO member states account for one-fourth of the world’s GDP, 43% of the international population and 23% of the global territory,” Putin told China Media Group, which includes the CGTN English channel. He stressed on the “rapid economic growth of China, India and Russia, all of which are major players in the organisation”.