TEHRAN - Iran is anticipated to sign a memorandum of commitments to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), according to Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.

In reference to the many positive decisions that will be made at the SCO summit, Zakharova stated it will allow Iran to ratify the SCO's founding documents and international agreements.

The Russian diplomat indicated that agreements on awarding Egypt, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia the status of dialogue partners had been prepared for signing, and that negotiations on Bahrain, the Maldives, and other states would follow.

She emphasized that the SCO summit in Samarkand, which will take place on September 15–16, will mark the beginning of the process for Belarus's admission to the Organization as well.

The current full members of the organization are Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It also has observer members and other aspirants.
The SCO conference in mid-September will bring together heads of state from 14 countries, including Iran's Ebrahim Raisi.

Information obtained by the Tehran Times indicates that Iran will take the necessary steps toward becoming an SCO member, but the procedure takes almost two years to be fulfilled. India handed in its membership request in 2013 but became a member in 2017.

In the September summit, Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia will participate as observer members.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Armenia are also expected to attend the summit as dialogue partners. 

In phone talks on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian told his Uzbek counterpart Vladimir Imamovich Norov that President Raisi's visit to Samarkand will be a turning point in relations between Iran and Uzbekistan.

Vladimir Norov, for his part, welcomed the attendance of Raisi at the summit and said that focusing on the importance and capacity of Iran as a new member will be one of the most important topics at the meeting.

The top Uzbek top diplomat also presented a report on the preparations made for the visit of the Iranian president and considered the plan of signing a number of bilateral documents during this trip as a basis for further improving the relations between the two countries of Iran and Uzbekistan.

Amir Abdollahian also announced the readiness of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help hold the summit successfully.