Iran hails admission to SCO as 'positive development'

Iran said on Monday that its upcoming admission to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a full member state will promote regionalism and facilitate the economic development of other member states.

At a weekly press conference held in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani hailed Iran's SCO membership, which is expected to be approved at the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State on July 4, as a "positive development" for the organization.

The development is in the interests of both Iran and other SCO member states, he said, adding Iran's admission to the SCO will increase the influence of the SCO as an important regional organization whose member states include strong economies.

Kanaani stressed that Iran's SCO membership will promote trade cooperation and improve "constructive relations" among SCO member states.

The decision to start admitting Iran as a full member of the organization was announced at the 21st meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State, which was held in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe in September 2021.

In November 2022, the Iranian parliament approved a bill on the country's SCO membership by an overwhelming majority.

(Xinhua News Agency)