Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri discussed the country's prospects of joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) with Secretary-General Zhang Ming. The talks took place in Tehran, where the SCO secretary-general was on a visit, according to a Tuesday statement on the Iranian government's official website.
"We see the SCO as an institution for cooperation of independent and strong countries," Bagheri said. — "The SCO's multilateral approach shows that its activities are not purely protocol-based, but respond to the security and political needs of the countries."
"The SCO differs from many Western organizations in that it was formed on the basis of decisions of independent countries and adheres to the principle of respect for the independence and sovereignty of countries, which ensures the development of long-term solutions to international problems," the Iranian deputy foreign minister said.
Zhang Ming thanked Iran for its desire to join the SCO and said, "We are seriously considering Iran's strategic decision to join the organization. Iran is an influential country both regionally and globally, and has actively participated in SCO meetings as an observer."
The SCO summit was held on September 15-16, 2022, in Samarkand. As a result, Iran signed a memorandum of commitment to become an SCO member state. The country will complete the formal procedure of accession to the organization after fulfilling the relevant obligations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
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Based on materials from TASS