The Islamic Republic of Iran becomes 9th member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

Iran has become a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance led by Russia and Chaina.

“This strategic membership will have an important impact on the process of multilateral cooperation of Iran with neighbors and Asian countries,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian announced on Twitter on 17 September.

Iran’s permanent membership was approved during the 21st Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the Tajik capital Dushanbe. The country obtained observer status in the organization in June 2005, and in 2008, applied for full membership.

At the end of the 21st Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the leaders of the eight main members of the organisation agreed to change the membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran from an observer member to a full member and signed the relevant documents. Accordingly, the technical process of Iran becoming one of the main members of the organisation has begun and Iran will henceforth cooperate and interact with member countries as the main member of the important regional organisation.