Foreign minister: Iran determined to play active role in Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Iran has affirmed its "serious determination" to play an active role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is in the process of accepting the Islamic Republic's full membership.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks during a Monday meeting with the international body's visiting Secretary-General Zhang Ming, who is currently in the Iranian capital Tehran at the head of a delegation.
"The Islamic Republic enjoys a host of technical, industrial, technological, tourism, cultural and other capacities, which it can employ towards realization of the organization's goals," the top diplomat noted.
Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran believes the SCO can play an "important role in the new international security and economic arrangements," adding, "Development of economic cooperation [among the body's members] can contribute to sustainable security."
The Iranian foreign minister, meanwhile, appreciated the efforts made by the SCO's secretary-general and secretariat to facilitate Iran's membership in the organization.
The SCO was founded by China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in 2001, and currently forms the world's biggest regional market with eight official and four observer members.
The organization accounts for 40 percent of the world's population and 28 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).
Iran and the organization started a formal process for Tehran’s accession to the bloc in March 2022. In September the same year, Iran signed a memorandum of commitment to join the SCO. A month later, the Iranian parliament approved the country's accession to the organization.
For his part, Zhang said it was clear from the start that Iran takes a special approach to the SCO membership.
"There is no doubt that Iran's presence [in the body], as one of the powerful and influential countries in the region and the world, can be an important step towards realization of the organization's goals and help promote Tehran's relations with the member states," the SCO secretary-general said.
He hoped that the organization's next summit, which is slated to be held in India, would help promote Iran's role within the organization and develop bilateral interactions, especially in economic, technical, industrial, transit, and energy fields.
"We are certain that Iran's experience in the face of international challenges can prove very beneficial for the organization's members," Zhang concluded.
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