TEHRAN – The heads of state participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, have praised efforts to implement the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The summit was attended by Chinese and Russian leaders among others. China and Russia are part of the 5+1 who signed the landmark nuclear deal with Iran in July 2015. The accord went into effect in January 2016.

“The heads of state praised the efforts to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to resolve the issue of the Iranian nuclear program between the Islamic Republic of Iran and six international mediators plus the European Union,” part of the SCO statement said.

Historic agreement

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif represented Iran in the SCO meeting which started on Thursday and ended on Friday.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who had attended the meeting discussed the nuclear agreement and international developments with Zarif. Guterres called the nuclear deal, a “historic agreement”.

On the sidelines of the SCO conference, Zarif also with a number of other senior officials including his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, discussing bilateral ties and the latest developments in the Middle East.

Zarif also held separate meetings with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev.

During his meeting with President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Iranian foreign minister said that expansion of ties with neighbors especially Kazakhstan is among Iran’s objectives.

Issues related to cooperation in fight against international terrorism, security and situation in the Middle East and Afghanistan were on the agenda the SCO summit.

The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and military organization which was founded in 1996 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

India and Pakistan were formally given full membership in the organization on Friday.

Iran, Belarus, Mongolia, and Afghanistan hold observer status in the organization and Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Armenia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners.

China and Russia have expressed support for Iran’s membership to the organization.

NA/PA