TEHRAN – Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) is preparing new proposals to deepen the country’s participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), according to Majidreza Hariri, head of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce.

Hariri told Iran Chamber Online that the plans will soon be reviewed by experts at the chamber to help Iran better utilize the SCO’s economic potential.

“We are drafting initiatives that will soon be presented for professional discussion to ensure more focused engagement with the SCO framework,” he said.

He noted that Iran’s ability to benefit from its full membership in the SCO has been limited in recent years due to a series of national crises. “Soon after gaining full membership, we faced the helicopter crash that martyred President Raisi, the assassination of [Hamas political leader] Ismail Haniyeh, and the escalation of open conflict with Israel and the United States. These developments distracted the government from advancing economic cooperation within the SCO,” Hariri said, adding that the same situation affected Iran’s participation in other blocs such as the Eurasian Economic Union and BRICS.

While praising the Foreign Ministry’s efforts to establish specialized structures for SCO engagement, Hariri said Iran still lacks comprehensive economic coordination within the organization.

“We don’t even have accurate statistics on our trade with SCO members,” he said.

He added that sanctions have also shaped trade patterns, with most transactions focused on China and Russia.

“We can’t clearly say whether the growth in trade with these countries results from SCO membership or from sanctions limiting our other options,” he noted.

Hariri identified the main obstacle to developing ties with SCO members as a lack of experience in international agreements. “Our biggest problem is not legal or political restrictions — it’s inexperience. Both the government and private sector need more expertise in handling multilateral frameworks like the SCO,” he said.

Hariri concluded that the Chamber of Commerce is finalizing new initiatives aimed at improving Iran’s participation in the SCO’s economic programs.

“We will soon present these plans for expert review so that Iran can take fuller advantage of the organization’s capacities,” he said.

EF/MA