Iran will be admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this year, with a memorandum on the country’s obligations to be signed at a summit in Samarkand, which will take place from
September 15-16, Uzbekistan’s acting foreign minister, Vladimir Norov, said on Monday, as reported by ANI.
“This year, within Uzbekistan’s chairmanship, Iran will be admitted to the SCO as an observer state … A memorandum on Iran’s obligations as an SCO member will also be signed in Samarkand,” Norov said at a panel meeting in Moscow.
The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China. It evolved from an earlier regional security grouping formed in 1996 after the collapse of the Soviet Union when the Central Asian states gained independence from Moscow. The historical meeting of the Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held on June 8-9, 2017 in Astana. At the meeting, the status of a full member of the Organization was granted to India and Pakistan.
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Initially focused on regional security, including border conflicts, terrorism and militant Islam, its activities have expanded to cover economics and trade, transport and law enforcement. Security and economic cooperation remain priorities. China and Russia are the dominant members. Russia regards Central Asia as its sphere of influence but Chinese economic sway is growing. At an informal level, the SCO is a diplomatic platform that helps address and contain potential friction.
(with inputs from agencies)
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