Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is not yet ready to expand to include India and three other observers and will consider the issue in \"real earnest\" when the time is ripe, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

\"The current task of the SCO is to expand internal practical cooperation. We have not discussed the issue of the four observers to become full members. When the time is ripe, the members will consider this question in real earnest,\" Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said.

However, the SCO has invited the representatives of India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan - the four countries having observer status in the SCO - for the first time to take part in its meeting, Kong said.

The Beijing-based SCO comprises Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Noting that the four observers have expressed interest in cooperating with the SCO, Kong said that the SCO Charter has adopted the \"principle of openness\" and expressed its wish to work with other countries and regional organizations to maintain regional peace and stability and to achieve joint progress.