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390783
Fri, 12/11/2015 - 14:40
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Russia sees Iran as priority candidates for joining SCO - deputy foreign minister

MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. Russia sees Iran as one of priority candidates for joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told TASS on Friday. "Talking about further prospects of expanding the membership of the Organization, we see Iran as one of priority candidates that filed an application for entrance back in 2008," Morgulova said. He added that expanding the SCO is not the aim in itself. At the moment, the organization brings together 18 countries, observers and dialogue partners on the large territory - from South East and South Asia to the Middle East. "The main thing is ensuring the most possible effectiveness of its (SCO) activities," Margulov noted. SCO The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent regional international association, whose establishment was announced on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai. The organization brings together Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. During the SCO summit in Ufa on July 9 and July 10 the beginning of the admission procedure for India and Pakistan was announced. The leaders of the SCO member-countries also decided to grant Belarus observer status, while Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia and Nepal became dialogue partners. SCO priority spheres include joint fight against terrorism and extremism, cooperation in the spheres of education, energy, transport, and telecommunications. The total population of SCO countries is almost 1.6 billion people, and the total GDP of the member countries is $11.6 trillion. Read more

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