Iran's Acting President Mohammad Mokhber on Thursday reaffirmed the robust and strategic relationship between Iran and China during discussions at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Speaking alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, Mokhber recalled the deep-rooted ties built on mutual interests and respect.

"The relations between Iran and China are strategic and are being deepened and developed based on mutual interests and respect," said Mokhaber during the summit as he underscored both nations' commitment to enhancing comprehensive cooperation across economic, commercial, and energy sectors.

President Xi Jinping echoed Mokhber's sentiments, noting that China's policy towards Iran remains steadfast and is not influenced by external factors.

Earlier, Mokhber held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he discussed the strategic nature of Tehran-Moscow relations in challenging unilateralism on the global stage.

The 24th summit of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO convened in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, on Thursday, gathering leaders from member states to discuss regional cooperation and global challenges.

Read more: China to continue strengthening strategic cooperation with Iran: Wang

The summit in Astana has seen several agreements unfold. First, Belarus was officially accepted as a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

During the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed internal matters, including the creation of a unified parliament for the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

He described it as a matter of time, suggesting readiness for deeper integration, potentially including a common currency in the future.

"We also have intra-parliamentary structures and intergovernmental ones. Is it necessary now to move, as it was initially stated, to the creation of a unified parliament? It is a matter of time," Putin told reporters.

Putin also affirmed the Taliban's role as allies in the fight against terrorism.

Despite the Taliban being under UN sanctions for terrorism, Putin acknowledged their control over Afghanistan and stressed the necessity of maintaining relations with the country's real political forces.

"The Taliban movement have made certain commitments … but in general we have to assume that the Taliban control the power in the country. And in that sense, the Taliban are certainly allies for us in the fight against terrorism," Putin stated, noting ongoing signals of cooperation from the Taliban on counterterrorism efforts.

Regarding Afghanistan's potential full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Putin remarked that this decision concerns all SCO members, and not solely Russia. 

Read more: Belarus officially joins SCO, becomes its 10th member state

On another note, the SCO issued a statement publicly denouncing the recent Israeli airstrike that targeted the Iranian consulate in Damascus, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming said.

On the organization's Telegram account, Zhang said, "The Shanghai Cooperation Organization condemns the April 1, 2024 airstrike against the Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the city of Damascus, the Syrian Arab Republic, and offers condolences to the Government of Iran."

He added that attacks against diplomatic institutions of SCO member states abroad were "categorically unacceptable", and rejected any destabilizing action in the region.