Nepal on Friday welcomed the decision of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to grant Nepal the status of dialogue partner.

"Nepal believes that (the status of) SCO dialogue partner 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 and help (Nepal) forge mutually beneficial partnerships with the organization," read a statement issued by Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu.

The ministry also expressed gratitude to all member countries of the SCO -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- for their decision to take in Nepal as a dialogue partner.

A spokesperson of the ministry, Tara Prasad Pokharel, said " Nepal is ready to fulfill its commitment to work together with the SCO in order to realize the objectives of the organization."

SCO leaders on Friday passed a resolution on starting the procedures of granting India and Pakistan full membership of the organization at the 15th SCO summit in the southwestern Russian city of Ufa.

The SCO had also elevated Belarus to the status of observer from dialogue partner, and took in Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Cambodia, besides Nepal, as new dialogue partners.

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