TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani has said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s members are interested in a permanent membership of Iran.

Iran’s permanent membership to the organization will benefit both Iran and the organization regarding the current situation in the Middle East region, Rouhani said during a joint press conference with Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev in Tehran on Saturday.

Iran currently has an observer status in the SCO.

For his part, Atambayev said Kyrgyzstan supports Iran’s permanent membership to the SCO.

The SCO is a Eurasian political and economic bloc which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

--------Fighting terrorism, extremism----

Rouhani also said given the independent approach of the new Kyrgyz government the two countries share close views and this can help boost cooperation.

The Iranian president also said that the two countries have close cooperation in fighting terrorism, violence and extremism.

Rouhani added the new situation that has followed the nuclear agreement between Iran and great powers will help expand economic ties with Bishkek.

The Kyrgyz president said that it was not possible to reach a nuclear agreement without “political will” in Iran.

Atambayev also said that Kyrgyzstan is aware of Iran’s capability in building hydro-electric facilities and called for expansion of ties in this regard.


-------‘Regional countries should root out terrorism’

The Iranian president said that the regional countries should cooperate to eradicate the roots of terrorism.

“We should portray the real image of Islam to the world and help root out cancer of terrorism in the region,” Rouhani said in a joint meeting of the Iranian and Kyrgyz delegations.

He also said that there is no impediment on the path of relations between the two countries.

------Iran, Kyrgyzstan sign eight agreements and MOUs ----

The Iranian and Kyrgyz presidents also signed eight agreements and memorandums of understanding.

The agreements are in the areas of agriculture, transfer in inmates, cooperation between the foreign ministries, media cooperation, energy, air transportation, chambers of commerce and consular cooperation.

The Kyrgyz president arrived in Tehran on late Friday at the head of a delegation.

NA/PA