Russia supports the start of the procedure for Iran's admission to the Shanghai cooperation organization (SCO), Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at the SCO summit, which he attended via video link.
"We all attach great importance to cooperation between the SCO and those states that seek to establish an open and equal dialogue with our organization and are considering joining its work," the Russian head of state said. "In this context, Russia supports the decision submitted for approval by the SCO Council of heads of state to start the procedure of admitting the Islamic Republic of Iran as a member of the Shanghai cooperation organization," Putin said.
"We have always been in favor of Iran's full-fledged participation in the work of our organization, based on the fact that this country plays an important role in the Eurasian region and has long been fruitfully cooperating with the SCO," the Russian leader explained. In his opinion, "Iran's accession will undoubtedly promote further increase of the organization's international authority".
Dialogue partners in the SCO
Putin said Russia welcomed granting Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia the status of SCO dialogue partners.
"Of course, we welcome the fact that dialogue partner status has been granted to Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Russia is a proponent of these countries’ active involvement in various aspects of the SCO’s activities," he pointed out.
According to Putin, "a fairly impressive portfolio of applications from other states wishing to cooperate with the organization in one capacity or another requires careful consideration".
"In practical terms, we believe it is appropriate to think about how to modernize and make more effective the participation of observers and dialogue partners in the work of the SCO," the Russian head of state said.
"In our opinion, it would be useful in the future, in parallel with the summits of the SCO member states’ leaders, to hold top-level and high-level events in the so-called SCO+ format with the invitation of all our partners," Putin said.
The SCO includes China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer countries in the organization include Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia; the partner countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.
Docking of integration processes in Eurasia
According to Putin, the docking of different integration processes in Eurasia meets the interests of the region's countries. The head of the Russian state stressed the importance of the memorandum of understanding signed during the summit between the SCO secretariat and the Eurasian economic commission (the executive body of the Eurasian economic union).
"This certainly goes in line with Russia's idea of creating the Greater Eurasian partnership involving the SCO, EAEC, ASEAN and China's One belt, one road initiative. I am convinced that the connection of different integration processes developing in Eurasia and the formation of a common space of open, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in this vast region meets the interests of all our countries," Putin said.
In conclusion, the Russian president thanked his Tajik colleague Emomali Rahmon for organizing the summit, and wished success to Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president of Uzbekistan, who will assume the SCO presidency.
The declaration establishing the SCO was signed in Shanghai in June 2001 by six states - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In 2017, India and Pakistan became full members of the SCO. Four observer countries (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia) and six dialogue partners (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey) also participate in the association.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS