BEIJING - China's SCO National Coordinator, Zhang Haizhou, said on Monday, May 22, that more and more countries are applying to join the SCO family, the Tehran Times reporter from Beijing reports.

For example, Zhang said, “Iran will become one of the member states this year.”

 Speaking to media persons from countries member to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Zhang welcomed journalists on behalf of the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.

A media team from 20 member countries has traveled to China to learn about the achievements of the organization.

 Zhang explained that the goals of the SCO are as follows: firstly, to step into a new stage with unity and mutual trust; secondly, to reach a new level of security cooperation; thirdly, to enter into a new stage of opening-up; fourthly, to make achievements in cultural and people-to-people exchanges; fifthly, to confirm the trend of democracy in a multi-polar world.

The organization adheres to the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, strengthens cooperation with observer states and dialogue partners, builds close contact with other international and regional organizations. It holds an objective and fair standpoint on international and regional hot issues, setting a good example for new international relations based on mutual respect, justice, and win-win cooperation.

 "Now, more and more countries are applying to be involved in the SCO family, among which Iran will become one of the members this year, and Belarus has started the procedure as well. All of this demonstrates that the SCO has taken root in the hearts of the people. The SCO makes greater contributions to promoting international order in the direction of more fairness and justice," he said.

According to the SCO national coordinator, supporting each other based on consensus, opposing foreign interference, and strengthening mutual trust among member states are crucial. Cooperation in all fields with all parties, implementing multilateral cooperation projects, actively participating in global governance, clearly opposing hegemony, bullying, unilateralism, and protectionism, implementing global development initiatives and global civilization initiatives, promoting international order towards more justice, expanding foreign exchanges and cooperation will be among the organization's plans for the future.

In recent years, President Xi Jinping put forward a series of major initiatives, drawing a blueprint for the future SCO development and putting forth a way of solving the difficult problems.

On March 10, China brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, two countries in the SCO family.

Iran is becoming a full member of the SCO and Saudi Arabia is now a dialogue partner. The process of Iran’s full membership was endorsed in the SCO meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September 2022.

Joining the SCO was discussed during a visit by President Xi to Saudi Arabia in December 2022.

Zhang said the reconciliation deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia confirms the cooperative principle of promoting regional peace and development and is a “vivid practice of building a human community with a shared future for mankind”.