Iran's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can contribute to its aim of economic revival in the absence of crippling sanctions, a lawmaker said.
International sanctions were eased in January when the July 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, took effect.
"I believe membership in the SCO will open the way for Iran's economic and political development in the post-JCPOA era, but the realization of such a goal demands planning and dialogue with the other countries," Mohammad Reza Rezaei Kouchi said, referring to the pact by its formal name.
"Joining the organization will benefit our economy and expand trade with other member states," he said in an interview with ICANA on Monday.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov announced his country's support for Iran becoming a full member of the SCO last week, saying the issue would likely be raised in the organization's meeting later this month in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent.
Describing Russia's backing as "positive", the lawmaker said, "Tehran-Moscow relations have improved considerably in recent years."
The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organization founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan are also expected to join the group as full members.
