Putin's Support for Iran's Full Membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, stated during a meeting with his Iranian counterpart that Moscow supports Tehran's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This full membership could enhance Iran's free trade with the Eurasian region. The meeting between Putin and Hassan Rouhani took place on Saturday, June 9, on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Qingdao, China, which focused on discussions about the nuclear agreement and joint economic and security cooperation between Iran and Russia. Iran has been a member of the SCO since 2005 as an observer and has sought full membership since 2006. One of the main obstacles to Iran becoming a full member of the SCO has been United Nations sanctions, which were lifted following the nuclear agreement, increasing Tehran's hopes of achieving its goal. However, the re-imposition of U.S. sanctions has cast uncertainty over the situation. The main members of the SCO include Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Pakistan, while Iran, Mongolia, Afghanistan, and Belarus are observer members. According to the Iranian government's information website, Putin stated in his meeting with Rouhani, 'Iran has participated well in the SCO as an observer for years, and Russia's position is to support Tehran's full membership in this organization.' He added, 'Moscow will continue to cooperate with Iran in economic, energy exchange, and defense areas, and there is a good outlook for cooperation between the two countries in all fields, including economic.' Rouhani also noted that the relations between the two countries are developing in all dimensions and emphasized that Tehran welcomes investments from Russian companies and the private sector. The report further refers to Washington's decision to withdraw from the nuclear agreement and mentions that both presidents labeled this decision as 'illegal.' Rouhani stated, 'After the unilateral and illegal withdrawal of the U.S., Moscow plays an important role in strengthening the JCPOA and ensuring the commitments of the other parties.' Putin assured that 'Moscow will continue dialogue with other parties to support the JCPOA.' Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has called the JCPOA a 'bad' agreement that cannot prevent Iran's 'destabilizing actions' in the region. This session of the SCO began on Saturday with a speech by the President of China. This summit, lasting two days, is particularly significant for Iran as it takes place about forty days after the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement, while Russia and other parties to the agreement have emphasized maintaining it.