SCO is a successful example of regional cooperation

Hussein Amir Abdullahiyan

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a successful example of regional cooperation. The organization consists of like -minded countries and seek to maintain regional peace and stability without intervention outside the domain. The SCO has become the most widely used regional international organization in the world today. The GDP (GDP) of member states accounted for about 25%of the world's GDP, reaching more than 200 trillion US dollars, which is more than 13 times compared to the beginning of its establishment. Essence

Iran welcomes dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy with all countries, opposes unilateralism, and adheres to the basic principles of international law such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. Joining the SCO is one of the main goals of Iran's foreign policy. In September 2021, during the Iranian President Laich went to Tajikistan to attend the Duchamp Summit in the SCO, the head of the member state signed a document to start the process of receiving the official member states of the SCO. This is Iran's diplomatic achievements and also proves that Iran's determination to pursue "balance, wisdom, positive, and vibrant" foreign policy and "Asian priority" policy. This is also a milestone in the development of bilateral, regional and international development cooperation between Iran and SCO.

The member states of the SCO must seize the opportunities of multilateral cooperation and create a promising future for regional countries. SCO and its member states have the ability to deal with political, security, economy, business and cultural challenges. If it is not provided for security prerequisites, it is impossible to promote investment and expand economic cooperation, thereby achieving sustainable regional development and stability. Therefore, on the Afghanistan issue, members of Afghanistan and SCO members should further enhance consensus.

The huge economic capacity and comparative advantages of each member country of the SCO attract the attention of the international community, and provide excellent opportunities for the development of strategic partnerships and active interaction between members. Among many important areas of Iran and SCO, transportation is one of them. Iran has the advantages of geographical location. It is adjacent to the two important waters of the Cechi Sea and the Persian Gulf, enabling the SCO member states and observer states to connect with the global supply chain, and transport goods and energy to other parts of the world through Iran.

As the potential hub and regional infrastructure projects of the Eurasian Transportation Corridor, Iran can play an important role in the "North South Corridor", thereby connecting Central Asia, Russia and India. Iran is also located in the China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor, which is also located in the “Belt and Road”, and can become a bridge connecting Eurasia. Iran has multiple capabilities in promoting regional cooperation, such as sustainable security and stability, rich energy resources, unique tourist attractions, the advantages of national unity, extensive history and culture between members of SCO members and observer states. connect. In 2021, the trade volume of Iran and the SCO member states exceeded US $ 37 billion, accounting for about 30%of the total foreign trade in Iran.

President Laich promotes the relationship and cooperation with the SCO countries as one of the main directions of its foreign policy, and attaches particular attention to improving the level of transportation facilitation and strengthening the construction of transit channels. Provide a safe, stable and reliable route for the "North -South Corridor". At the same time, it is one of the strategic policies of Iran's port port, especially Chabhar Port, is one of the strategic policies of Iran's development regional cooperation and deepening trade with neighboring countries.

Iran is about to become a official member of the SCO. Joining the SCO is an embodiment of Iran's independence and is also conducive to safeguarding the interests and dignity of Iran. In the past year, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has actively coordinated with other relevant internal institutions and the SCO Secretariat to complete the law and administrative procedures for becoming a member of the SCO as soon as possible.

President Laich attended the Samarham Summit at the SARS, providing a key opportunity for Iran to advance Eurasia's diplomacy. The historical city Samalham is the birthplace of Rudaji, the father of Persian poetry, and President Laich's visit to Uzbekistan will also become an unforgettable moment for the Iranian delegation.

(Hussein Amir Abdullahiyan, the author is Iranian Foreign Minister)

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