Sputnik - Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mahmoud Vaezi said that Tehran is planning to take decisive steps toward joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as full-fledged member.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) Tehran is planning totake decisive steps towardjoining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) asfull-fledged member, Iranian Minister ofInformation and Communications Technology Mahmoud Vaezi told Sputnik onThursday onthe sidelines ofthe St. Petersburg International Business Forum (SPIEF).
"In general, I believe, that inthe nearfuture Iran will take active steps towardjoining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization asa full-fledged member, having held talks onthe conditions ofthis integration," Vaezi said.
According tothe minister, Iran saw both positive and negative sides injoining the SCO, butwith the global challenges requiring countries tostand together, Iran was getting ready tojoin the union.
The SCO, founded in2001, includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, withIndia and Pakistan asacceding states and Iran amongobservers. The organization deals withpolitical, economic, security and military issues.
The 21st SPIEF kicked offon Thursday forits three-day run, gathering high-ranking politicians and prominent business leaders fromdozens ofcountries inthe Russian city ofSt. Petersburg.
The Sputnik news agency is an official media partner ofthe forum.