Zhang Ming made the remarks in a meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran on Monday afternoon.
During the meeting, Amirabdollahian underlined Iran’s determination to be present and play an active role in the SCO, thanking the body’s chief and secretariat for their efforts to facilitate Tehran’s membership in the organization.
Amirabdollahian said, “We believe that the SCO can play a key role in the new international security and economic arrangements.”
He noted that expansion of economic cooperation helps create lasting security.
Amirabdollahian said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has huge potentials in technical, industrial, technological, tourism and cultural fields and other areas, adding that Iran can allow the use of its potentials to achieve the goals of the SCO.
SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming for his part underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s special view about the body is absolutely clear when it comes to the process of Tehran’s access to the SCO.
Zhang also said that there is no doubt that Iran’s membership in the organization, as a powerful and influential country in the region and the whole world, can mark a key step toward achieving the goals of the SCO and expanding Iran’s ties with member states.
He added that the SCO hopes that with the final step toward Iran’s accession to the organization at the next summit of the council of members in India, “we will see Iran play a role in the body more than ever before.”
Zhang further voiced hope that Iran’s membership in the SCO will help boost activities and ties between the two sides, especially in economic, technical, industrial, transit and energy fields.
“We are confident that Iran’s experience in tackling international challenges can be very fruitful for the members of the SCO”, Zhang maintained.
