TEHRAN –Iran attended the eight meeting of education ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states on April 18, which was hosted by Russia this year.

The meeting was attended by heads of specialized agencies of the SCO member states including Iran, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, IRNA reported.

Special attention was paid to the functioning of the key educational project on the organization’s platform – the University of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (network university).

At the meeting, the heads of delegations presented national priorities in ensuring quality and accessible education and discussed the development of cooperation in this area.

Iran participated in the meeting as a full member for the first time after 20 years of being an observer country.

Kazem Jalali, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, represented Iran in person, while Omid Rezaei-Far, an official with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, participated virtually, delivering a speech via a video conference.

During the meeting, Jalali stressed that “Iran, as a full member, is looking for constructive interaction and comprehensive cooperation with SCO departments.”

Saying that education is the cornerstone of national development, he highlighted the importance of boosting educational ties.

The official highlighted Iran’s great advancement in research and higher education despite unfair sanctions.

He reminded that “Currently, Iran has the top position in West Asia in many science and research indicators, including technology and energy.”

The official went on to announce Iran’s readiness to cooperate and share its achievements and experiences in education with the member states of the SCO.

Lauding the existing collaborations between top universities of the members of the SCO, Jalali said Iran's best universities have already been cooperating with Shanghai states, including Russia, for years.

Rezaei-Far, for his part, while presenting a lecture, highlighted Iran’s significant position in science and technology, and expressed the country’s willingness to expand cooperation with SCO member states in the field of science and technology.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai (PRC) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People's Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The goals of the SCO are to strengthen mutual trust, friendship, and good-neighborliness between the Member States; to encourage effective cooperation between the Member States in such spheres as politics, trade, economy, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection.

It also aims to jointly ensure and maintain peace, security, and stability in the region; and promote a new democratic, fair, and rational international political and economic order.

Iran became the SCO’s ninth member on July 4, 2023, when Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi participated in a virtual SCO summit hosted by India. It was an upgrade from the observer status that Iran had held with the group since 2005. 

MT/MG