Tehran Nuclear Deal Removes SCO Accession Barriers, Says Russia

Moscow– The nuclear agreement between Iran and P5+1, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has removed all the juridical barriers on the way for Tehran to get accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), says Russia.

‘After the adoption of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in Geneva in July 2015 on settling the situation around the Iranian nuclear program, all juridical barriers were removed on the way of Tehran’s SCO membership,’ Maria Zakharova Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman recently told reporters.

‘Since 2005 Iran has been actively participating in the SCO process as an observer and it has long been expecting a decision on its application that was filed back in 2008,’ Zakharova said.

The SCO is an economic, political and military alliance founded back in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – all of whom are full members of the group.

Iran has long sought to become a full member of the group.

Despite Russia’s strong support for Tehran’s full membership, the Islamic Republic was denied full accession to the organization in its annual meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in June 2016.

The next regular summit of the leaders of the SCO member states is going to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan in June 2017.

The Russian diplomat also said that there are grounds to believe that India and Pakistan will get a new status at a meeting of the SCO leaders in Astana.

‘Another candidate is Afghanistan, which filed an application for the membership in the organization in accordance with the established procedure last year,’ she said.

IRNA

R.S