Former Head of Iran�s National Security Council Seyed Hossein Mousavian said Iran's potential membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would bring Tehran closer to its neighbors in Asia.


WASHINGTON (Sputnik)�� Iran�s membership in�the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would benefit its economic relations with�partners throughout�Asia, former Head of�Iran�s National Security Council Seyed Hossein Mousavian said on�Wednesday.

�This would help bring more impact on�Iran�s economic relations with�Asia,� Mousavian said about�Tehran�s possible SCO membership in�a conference at�National Council on�US-Arab Relations.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov raised the possibility of�Iran�s full accession into�the SCO if the ongoing P5+1 nuclear negotiations result in�a successful deal with�Iran.Mousavian explained that Iran is �already participating in�our Shanghai high-level meetings.�

If the members of�the organization accept Tehran, �it will create more opportunities for�Asian cooperation,� the former Iranian government official emphasized.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that the perspective for�Iran joining the SCO if a nuclear agreement is reached were �good.�

The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military alliance founded in�2001, currently comprising Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran currently has observer status in�the organization.


By Sputnik News