Iran's Pezeshkian promotes multilateralism ahead of SCO summit

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
31 Aug 2025 18:27

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian travels to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, emphasizing the need to counter unilateralism and strengthen ties with regional partners.

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President Masoud Pezeshkian (C) speaks before departing for China to attend the SCO Heads of State Summit, Tehran, August 31, 2025. (IRNA)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized the importance of strengthening multilateralism as he departed for China to attend the 25th Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Speaking on Sunday morning before his departure, Pezeshkian described the summit as a key opportunity to bolster regional cooperation and resist unilateral policies.

“The summit represents an important opportunity to bring our views closer together in scientific, cultural, political, and security fields, and to support one another,” Pezeshkian stated, underlining the SCO’s value in creating a balanced international order.

Rejecting unilateralism by the US, Europe

Pezeshkian strongly criticized the unilateralism and totalitarian approaches pursued by the United States and some European countries. He positioned the SCO summit as part of broader efforts to counter these policies and to reinforce regional sovereignty and partnership.

The president noted that the summit will provide a platform for discussions among heads of member and observer states, offering space to explore stronger political and economic ties.

In this context, Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet with the President of China and other regional leaders during the two-day event in Tianjin. These meetings are expected to focus on deepening Iran-China relations and enhancing Tehran’s role within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization 2025 agenda.

Building cooperation across security, cultural fields

In addition to economic and political topics, Pezeshkian emphasized the importance of cooperation in cultural, scientific, and security fields, noting that unified approaches in these areas would help strengthen mutual trust among SCO members.

President Pezeshkian expressed hope that the SCO discussions will contribute to promoting peace and security at both the regional and global levels. He stressed that meaningful dialogue and strategic cooperation are essential to addressing the challenges facing member states today.

Beyond the formal sessions, the Iranian president is expected to hold bilateral meetings with various participating leaders, advancing Iran’s foreign policy objectives and promoting constructive engagement with neighboring countries.