Lavrov hopes political decision on expanding SCO will be taken at organization’s summit in Ufa

MOSCOW, February 27. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday he hopes a political decision on expanding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be taken at the organization’s summit in Ufa. Lavrov reminded that an issue of organization’s expansion will be on the agenda at the meeting. "Corresponding criteria for candidates for accession were approved at last year’s summit. We will have to review applications from a number of countries, including India and Pakistan," Lavrov noted. The minister added that Iran filed an application for accession to SCO as well. "I hope that progress in the settlement of the Iranian nuclear program will help consider it [the application]," he stressed. "The process of accession [to SCO] is rather lengthy," Lavrov said. "A candidate will have to sign two or three dozens of SCO documents and ratify them," he noted. "I hope, and there are all reasons for that, that a political decision will be made in Ufa on launching the expansion process," the minister noted. "We share the understanding with Chinese colleagues and other SCO members on this issue," Lavrov concluded. Read more