The number of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members will soon rise to nine. At a meeting in Dushanbe, to be held on 16-17 September, the heads of state are expected to announce the start of the procedure for Iran’s admission to the SCO. However, Tehran’s membership of an international organization could take some time, Ria Novosti reports.
In 2005, Iran received observer status with the SCO, after which it applied for full membership in 2008. However, until 2015, Tehran could not be admitted to the SCO due to sanctions imposed on it by the UN Security Council.
At the same time, after the sanctions were lifted, Iran’s accession process to the organization did not accelerate, as it was hampered by a number of factors, such as the US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the re-imposition of restrictive measures on the country, etc.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow is concerned about the lack of progress in normalizing cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran and calls on Iran to make efforts to improve relations with the agency. According to the diplomat, many aspects of the interaction “remain in limbo”. “We ask the Iranian side to show a correct understanding in this matter that further efforts are needed from Tehran,” he stressed.