Benaulim (Goa) [India], May 4 (ANI): UAE Ambassador Abdulnasser Alshaali on Thursday arrived at the Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Minister's meeting venue in Goa.

The UAE is set to soon become a dialogue partner in the SCO grouping.

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Currently, eight countries enjoy the status of the SCO full members: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; four countries -- Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia -- have an observer status with the SCO, and six countries -- Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka -- have a dialogue partner status in the grouping.

Earlier today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived at Goa's Dabolim airport to attend the two-day-long meeting of the grouping of eight countries that began today.

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Lavrov who was accompanied by a delegation is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Lavrov is also expected to have several bilateral meetings with his counterparts of other SCO countries.

Foreign ministers of the SCO are scheduled to meet on Friday to prepare the agenda for the group's summit in July, where 15 decisions or proposals will be signed off.

"There will be a total of 15 key decisions on table for the SCO CFM Meet. These decisions will shape SCO Leaders' Summit in July in New Delhi," sources told ANI.

The people cited above said that the shortlisted decisions will not be made public after the end of tomorrow's CFM.

Sources also highlighted that during the foreign ministers' meeting, discussions will range on exchanging opinions regarding regional and global issues, as well as other topics of common interest, such as the reform and modernization of the eight-member organization.

India is hosting the foreign ministers' conclave ahead of the annual summit of the grouping this July.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Jaishankar is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan in Goa today. (ANI)

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