Tehran has applied for membership with SCO, says Ali Bageri, the deputy secretary of Iranian supreme national security council, reported by “Vzglyad”. At a press conference in Moscow Mr. Bageri has confirmed filing an official application.
SCO dates back to 2001, initially consisting of China, Russia,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The organization’s original goal has been defined as countering extremism and strengthening the border safety. Later, the organization has been joined by India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia as observers. Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have been invited to attend the organization’s meetings as guests. Belarus and Sri Lanka have got the status of dialogue partners. In 2011, Afghanistan has officially applied for the full membership, Fergana News reports.
