Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov planned to raise the issue of Iran's possible accession to Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Tuesday session of SCO's Council of Foreign Ministers in Tashkent, according to Russian presidential envoy for SCO, Bakhtiyer Khakimov. "There is common understanding that Iran is a real candidate for joining SCO as an official full-fledged member. We do not see any obstacles," Russian news agency TASS quoted Khakimov as saying. "Our minister [Lavrov] will voice this and this topic is under discussion … Colleagues unofficially discussed it yesterday. It was announced that we do not mind [Iran's membership in SCO] in principle."
