29 Mar 2024
Friday 2 June 2017 - 11:50
Story Code : 263361

Iran should be next candidate for membership in SCO - Putin's envoy

Sputnik - Russia sees Iran as the next candidate for full membership in the SCO after the accession of India and Pakistan.


ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) Russia sees Iran asthe next candidate forfull membership inthe Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) afterthe accession ofIndia and Pakistan, Russia's Special Presidential Envoy tothe SCO Bakhtier Khakimov said Thursday duringthe St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).


"The next candidate, according toRussia, followingIndia and Pakistan, should be Iran, aswell asother states that meet our criteria forthe SCO membership," Khakimov said.


According tothe envoy, the SCO has a great potential tobecome the key international platform.
"It is aboutthe potential that the SCO has 24 percent ofthe world GDP afterthe accession. Today we see the wide geographic scope ofthe organization 18 member states, observers and dialogue partners," Khakimov stressed.


The SCO is an intergovernmental international organization, established onJune 15, 2001 inShanghai byKazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Uzbekistan. At the summit inUzbekistan inJune 2016, the SCO leaders signed memorandums onthe accession ofIndia and Pakistan tothe organization. The SCOs 2017 summit will be held inAstana onJune 8-9.

SPIEF, held inRussia's second largest city ofSt. Petersburg betweenThursday and Saturday, is a major global platform forrepresentatives ofbusiness community tocooperate and discuss crucial economic issues facing Russia and the world ingeneral. Sputnik News Agency is the official media partner ofthe event.
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