BEIJING: Analysts welcomed Iran’s integration into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and said it would create new possibilities for its relations with the outside world and regional stability.
Mehran Kamrava, a professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, said that Iran’s admission to the SCO is a significant milestone in several ways. According to him, the participation was consistent with Iran’s Look East policy, which strongly emphasizes connections with non-Western nations in commerce, security cooperation, and diplomacy, China Daily reported.
He added that it expands Iran’s opportunities to interact and conduct business more effectively with nations who are open to doing so. Following an almost two-year procedure that started at the 21st SCO summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in 2021, Iran’s full membership was authorized at the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO held virtually on Tuesday.
The SCO member states of SCO include Pakistan, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and now Iran.
Kamrava further said that Iran is a key catalyst in promoting a worldwide agreement. According to Teheran, this alternative is rooted in the BRICS, particularly in China and Russia, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. The term BRICS, originally known as BRIC and created in June 2009, stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, which joined the group formally in 2011.
Irans views SCO as a great opportunity
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said in his address at the SCO virtual summit that his country viewed the SCO as having a privileged position in fostering the growth of political, security, and economic cooperation. He added that the advantages of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s official participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will undoubtedly live on in history.
A research fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad in Pakistan and a Middle East analyst, Arhama Siddiqa, said that it is important to remember that China and Iran officially joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2021 after signing a 25-year agreement for cooperation in areas like oil.
She said that this was a crucial piece of the puzzle for the general growth of the region, and she found it intriguing to observe the Iran-Saudi reconciliation earlier this year, which allowed Iran progressively broke out of its diplomatic exile and was facilitated by China.
According to Siddiqa, Iran’s entry to the SCO is crucial because it shows how dedicated the group is to developing international cooperation and working towards a brighter future.
APP—
