TEHRAN (MNA) -– Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said here on Monday that Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should not allow the constructive opportunities to be influenced by political propaganda of certain global powers such as the United States and Britain.

During the past decade, amidst the struggle which resulted from the United State’s unilateralism, and regional and multilateral movements on the other hand, the process of strengthening the regional alliances has replaced the old discords, Mottaki told the opening ceremony of the 14th International Conference of Central Asia and the Caucasus - the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Prospective Opportunities.

The conference is held in Tehran on October 30-31.

SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization proclaimed in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 by six countries - People’s Republic of China, Russian Federation, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan.

Iran, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have been awarded observer status in the SCO.

The SCO structure, aims, capacities, resources, and their effect on convergence of the members are the major topics that are discussed in the conference.

Boosting political, economic, security, and cultural relations between the member states, revising the organization’s position in the regional and international issues, and Iran’s cooperation with SCO are also among the topics of the conference.

Asked whether Iran will be a permanent member of SCO, Mottaki said the membership of new states has not been approved yet, but we look forward to it.

The Islamic Republic is prepared to join the organization, and if accepted, it will cooperate with SCO with its “high potentials and new constructive plans”, he added.

“It is the first time after the Islamic Revolution in Iran that the country is officially cooperating with a political-security and economic convention,” Mottaki highlighted.

The Islamic Republic’s security is intertwined with that of the Central Asia and evidently the region’s security requires Ian’s serious presence and cooperation, he stated. ---------------Threats will not deter Iran from gaining its peaceful nuclear rights

“The Islamic Republic’s stance in the nuclear issue is completely transparent, and threats or sanctions will not discourage Iranians from using their definite right to have access to peaceful nuclear technology,” the foreign minister noted.

“As a loyal NPT (nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) signatory in the past 37 years, Iran has had the right to use peaceful nuclear technology with civilian aims,” he added.

Mottaki expressed regret over the UN Security Council’s approach toward Iran’s civilian nuclear activities.

Iran has clearly declared its stances to the entire world and the inspections that have been carried out on the nuclear sites also verify the stances, thus “we will carry on our path transparently and clearly”, he said.

“Iran considers negotiations the best and the most convenient way of stating the stances and clarifying the ambiguities, so it chooses and endorses the path of negotiations,” he stated.