Shanghai Five Plus

The group agreed to reduce force levels along common frontiers, and in the ’99 summit in Kazakhstan, unanimously supported further confidence-building-measures, including the establishment of working groups to deal with terrorism, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and illegal immigration. But membership is in danger of growing, say critics, to unwieldly proportions as other countries begin knocking on the door. Pakistan has asked for membership and India has signalled willingness to join as well. Mongolia is interested, so is Iran. Add Turkmenistan, and most of Central Asia’s major powers could come together.