印度眼中的中亚关系

India is eager to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It hopes to use the membership to enhance relationship with Central Asia, a region it has largely ignored for decades.

Since Narendra Modi became Indian prime minister in May 2014, foreign relations have been on top of his agenda. Modi’s attendance of the SCO summit in the Russian city of Ufa, is a testament showing India's eagerness to deepen its relationship with China and Russia.

Full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for India means safeguarding its interests in central Asia. A region, experts say, it has ignored for a long time.

The SCO was originally conceived as a regional security organization playing an important role in Central Asia, a region that concerns India. Afghanistan is of particular interest to India, where along with China it has been playing an important role since the start of the withdrawal of US forces in July 2014.

Economic interests in the region are also important for India to wield influence. The SCO has shifted focus from regional security to economic cooperation. China’s increasing economic partnership with the region is a testimony to that. India hopes to do energy deals with Central Asia to meet its burgeoning energy demand.

Biswajit Dhar of India’s Jawahar Lal University says, this is the time for India to make up for the lost time in Central Asia.

"We, despite our close proximity to this region we have not actually exploited this region enough. Everyone talks about the natural resources, the oil and other natural resources but I would think that even in terms of India’s presence in those markets is a very important at this stage," Biswajit Dhar said.

Despite the advantages, experts say there are also areas that remain of concern. The official languages of SCO are currently Chinese and Russian, and that’s put a question on whether India has the competence to interact. There are other concerns as well.

"Disadvantages are that we don’t seem to be as well prepared in terms of exploiting the opportunities. I was talking about the possibilities that exist but then we have to reach out and be proactive and if you are proactive, if you have demonstrable projects and we have ideas as to how to increase our linkages then of course we will have the advantages," Biswajit Dhar said.

The SCO might be a multilateral organization, but it will also have a bilateral impact on Sino-Indian relationship. Next step for India could be China’s “One Belt One Road” regional development plan, which will influence the SCO’s agenda.