MNA � In his meeting with Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Special Representative of the President of Russia on SCO Affairs Bakhtiyar Khakimov announced Moscow's support for Iran's permanent membership in this organization.

Iran�s Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali met and held talks with Special Representative of the President of Russia on SCO Affairs Bakhtiyar Khakimov on Tuesday on the process of cooperation between Iran and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran as an observer and active member of the Shanghai Organization.

They also discussed the various grounds for Iran's more active presence in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and Khakimov announced Moscow's support for Iran's permanent membership in this organization.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai on 15 June 2001. The SCO currently comprises eight Member States, including China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, four Observer States interested in acceding to full membership, including Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia and six �Dialogue Partners�, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.