TEHRAN- A delegation from Iran has officially participated in a meeting of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The 40th edition of the summit took place on Friday. Participants included nine member countries—China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—as well as two observers.

They debated and shared opinions on matters relating to terrorism, separatism, and extremism, and they strongly denounced the most recent terrorist assault that killed several individuals at the Shah Cheragh shrine in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.

Other significant issues brought up at the event were the necessity to concentrate on the situation in Afghanistan and the continuing war against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Participants also praised the efforts made to combat terrorism and paid tribute to Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani who was assassinated in a drone strike authorized by former U.S. President Donald Trump near the Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
 
The 40th meeting of the RATS of the SCO was chaired by Kazakhstan. The next presidency was conferred to China for the year 2024.

The prominent security and commercial alliance’s ninth member, Iran, became a full member of the SCO on July 4 during the 23rd virtual summit of the group hosted by India.

With eight official and four observer members, the SCO was established by China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in 2001. It now represents the largest regional market in the world.

The organization, a Eurasian political, economic, security, and defense organization, is responsible for 40 percent of the world’s population and 28 percent of global GDP.

In March 2022, Iran and the group formally began the procedure for Tehran’s membership. 

Iran committed to joining the SCO by signing a memorandum of understanding in September of that same year. A month later, the Iranian parliament gave its approval for the nation to join the group.