Iran's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will boost the organization's influence in the world, SCO Secretary General Dmitry Mezentsev told Sputnik Thursday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)�� Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Rossiya Segodnya news agency's general director, Dmitry Kiselev, in�an exclusive interview that Iran had good prospects to�join SCO if Tehran followed through�the new framework agreement on�its nuclear energy program."If Iran joins the organization, it will help enhance its weight, broaden the scale of�multilateral cooperation and boost the SCO's influence on�participation in�the issues of�international agenda," Mezentsev said.

The SCO Secretary General added that Iran could help strengthen the ties between�the member states "in the spheres of�tourism, cultural and humanitarian as�well as�trade and economic cooperation."

The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and military organization which was founded in�2001 by�the leaders of�China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.Iran has been an observer state in�the SCO since�2005 and will be able to�apply for�full membership after�the United Nations lifts sanctions imposed on�Tehran over�its nuclear energy program.

Last week, Tehran promised to�cut back its uranium enrichment and decrease the number of�centrifuges in�the country as�part of�a framework deal with�the P5+1 group.

In return, the United States and the United Nations will lift their nuclear-related sanctions after�International Atomic Energy Agency verifies Tehran's implementation of�the agreements.

The P5+1 group includes the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and Germany.


By Sputnik News