External Affairs Minister S M Krishna today left for Astana to attend the 11th Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is expected to spell out the Memorandum of Obligations that the new applicant members need to fulfill to become full members. AIR correspondent reports, India is very keen to play a larger role in the SCO. India is also looking forward for cooperation in the areas of counter-terrorism and economic development of the region besides focusing on improving transport corridors among member nations.Founded on June 15, 2001, the SCO comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia are currently Observers in the SCO which is now in the process of finalising rules for taking in new members. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash on Monday said that India, being an integral part of the Eurasian region, has expressed its willingness to play a larger role in the SCO.Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai also left for Astana today to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organsation (SCO) Summit meeting. The 11th Summit of the SCO in Kazakhstan capital Astana is expected to spell out the rules of engagement for new members. At the 2010 Tashkent summit, the SCO had decided to lift the moratorium on the expansion of the forum and approved the regulation on the procedure for admitting new members for the SCO. India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia are currently Observers in the SCO which is now in the process to finalise rules for taking in new members. SCO was founded on June 15, 2001 and China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are its members.