“The Russian position is clear in its support of initiating the SCO admission process [for Tehran] without delays, if possible,” a special SCO envoy of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bakhtiyor Khakimov, told reporters on Thursday.
“We failed to reach an agreement with our colleagues this time, but the work continues,” he added.
“Russia’s position is definitely in favour of launching the process of Iran’s admission to the SCO without dragging it out as much as possible,” Khakimov explained.
The SCO is an economic, political and military alliance founded back in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – all of whom are full members of the group.
Iran has long sought to become a full member of the group.
Tehran had previously applied for full membership back in March 2008 but was denied for the simple reason they were under UN sanctions.
Following the lifting of sanctions in January 2016 – as part of the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the world powers the year before – China’s President Xi Jinping visited Iran where he signed a joint statement with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani in which Beijing expressed support for Tehran’s application for full SCO membership.
Russia is also pointing to the lifting of sanctions as the primary reason Iran should be allowed to become a full SCO member.
Chinese diplomats at this week’s SCO meeting in Uzbekistan did not comment on why Beijing is currently refusing to admit Iran into the organization.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, however, has recently said that Beijing’s primary focus for the time being is making India and Pakistan full members of the organization after the organization decided to admit them last year.
