Tehran has always had strong and constructive relations with member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and “is determined to increase its cooperation”, an Iranian diplomat said.
Iran's Ambassador to China Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh made the statement in a meeting with SCO’s newly appointed Secretary-General Vladimir Norov on Thursday, IRNA reported.
He looked forward to closer collaboration between Iran and the organization in various sectors under the new secretary-general who assumed office on Jan. 1.
SCO is a China-led political, economic and security alliance that works to ensure security and stability across the Eurasian region and enhance trade as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
Its member states include China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.
Iran, along with Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia, is an observer state but has applied for full membership.
Protracted Accession Process
Keshavarz-Zadeh voiced dissatisfaction over the prolonged process of raising the country’s status in SCO.
Iran submitted its application in 2008 but was blocked from admission, as it was under the United Nations’ sanctions at the time.
When the international restrictions were lifted in 2015 thanks to the nuclear agreement with the world powers, the application was renewed.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced its support for Iran’s full membership in SCO during a state visit to Iran in January 2016.
Russia also backed Tehran’s bid for membership after the lifting of sanctions.
The newly-appointed SCO secretary-general hailed Iran’s positive approach to cooperation with member states of the alliance, vowing a greater role for observer states such as Iran in the organization’s future activities
“We believe that after Iran’s nuclear problem was solved and United Nations sanctions were lifted, there have been no obstacles left [for Iran’s membership in SCO],” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June 2016 at an SCO summit in the Uzbek capital Tashkent.
However, Tehran has not yet joined the organization as a member.
The Iranian envoy called for considering mutual benefits, highlighting Iran’s unique geopolitical and geoeconomic advantages such as its location on an important trade corridor, modern and advanced transport industry and valuable experience in fighting terrorism, smuggling and other organized crimes.
“We seriously expect a positive development with regard to Iran’s full membership at SCO and the improvement of its status under your management,” he said.
Norov underlined the effective role and position of Iran with regard to bilateral cooperation, appreciating the fact that Tehran is on good terms with SCO members.
He called for more patience on the part of Iran regarding its membership in view of the organization’s consensual decision-making mechanism, which requires the agreement of all members.
“Nevertheless, the organization is preparing a new mechanism to increase the participation of observer members within the framework of future activities,” he said.
