Posted on 09/17/21
| News Source: i24
Iran calls on body to function as a mechanism to avert sanctions imposed by the West
Members of the China and Russia-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization on Friday endorsed Iran's future membership of the bloc that already includes South Asian rivals India and Pakistan.
The move comes as Moscow and Beijing have moved to assert themselves as key players in the region, after the United States' hasty retreat from Afghanistan and the Taliban's takeover of the country.
"Today we will launch procedures to admit Iran as a member of the SCO," said Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The body, formed in the 2001 as a talking shop for Russia, China and ex-Soviet states in Central Asia, expanded four years ago to include India and Pakistan, with a view to playing a bigger role as counterweight to Western influence in the region.
Iran's membership was welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who were attending the summit virtually, and Pakistani premier Imran Khan, who was at the summit in person.
Raisi hailed the opportunity that membership would provide for Iran, as a country along China's "Belt and Road" route, to join important trade links across Eurasia. Iranian television described Iran's membership as giving it access to huge markets across the continent.