The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officially included Iran as its ninth full member on Tuesday, July 4. The SCO comprises China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It is geared towards ensuring regional political, economic and defense security and countering Western influence and interference in the Eurasian region. A close ally and neighbor of Russia, Belarus, has also signed a memorandum of obligation which is the first step towards gaining SCO membership.
The announcement regarding Iran’s full membership was made at a virtual summit of the SCO attended by the leaders of the respective countries on Tuesday. The summit was chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Making the formal announcement about Iran as well as Belarus, Modi said, “I am happy that today Iran is going to join the SCO family as a new member. For this, I convey my best wishes to President Ebrahim Raisi and the people of Iran. Also, we welcome the signing of the memorandum of obligation for Belarus’ SCO membership.”
Speaking at the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the inclusion of Iran as a full member and called for further strengthening of relations and mutual learning between SCO members and to increase efforts for safeguarding regional peace and common security. He additionally stressed that the group must focus on the economic recovery of its members and increase mutual trust and solidarity in other aspects of their multifaceted relationships.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also welcomed the development and said that he supports the rapid expansion of ties between the group’s members, including in the transition towards trading in their respective local currencies, as against the US dollar which historically has had a stranglehold on world economy and trade. He also thanked the SCO members who have expressed support for Russia during the Ukraine war and vowed to stand up to Western pressure, sanctions, and provocations.
Iran first applied for SCO membership 15 years ago. The organization has a long drawn out process for admission for new members. In 2021, Iran was declared a member with observer status. Subsequently, at the 21st SCO summit held in the Tajik capital Dushanbe, all existing members unanimously agreed to change Iran’s status from observer state to a full member.
Just months ago, Iran and Saudi Arabia had announced the restoration of diplomatic relations between them after years of animosity and hostility, paving the way for other Arab and Gulf countries to also repair ties with Iran. Despite the West expressing disapproval and concern over such moves, countries globally are moving ahead with similar agreements and arrangements, keeping in mind the economic and security opportunities that would come with greater peace and stability.
