Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian signed a memorandum allowing the Islamic Republic of Iran to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) during the SCO summit held on the 15 and 16th of September. 

Amir-Abdollahian, accompanying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to the SCO summit in Uzbekistan, announced via a tweet, on Wednesday, that Iran had signed a memorandum of arrangements and commitments.

From Uzbekistan, Amir-Abdollahian said that "Tonight, in the historical city of Samarkand, I signed the memorandum of commitments of Iran's permanent membership at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with the (SCO) secretary-general." 

The tweet further read that "Now, we have entered a new stage of diverse economic, commercial, transit, energy, etc. cooperation (with the SCO members)."

امشب در شهر تاریخی سمرقند یادداشت تعهدات عضویت دائم ج.ا.ایران نزد سازمان همکاری شانگهای را با دبیرکل امضا کردم. اکنون وارد مرحله جدید همکاری های متنوع اقتصادی، تجاری ، ترانزیت، انرژی و … شده ایم. دبیرکل سازمان، پیوستن دائم ایران و امضای سند را تبریک گفت و آن را تحول مهمی خواند.

— H.Amir-Abdollahian امیرعبداللهیان (@Amirabdolahian) September 14, 2022

Zhang Ming, the secretary-general of the SCO, congratulated Iran on its "permanent accession" and signature of the agreement and called it an "important development," Amir-Abdollahian told Press TV.

Iran will officially become a full member of the organization by signing its first memorandum of obligations by April 2023.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an economic, political, and security alliance comprising China, India, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan. SCO Observer countries include Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia, with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka holding a dialogue partner status.

The SCO summit in Dushanbe last September began the procedure of Iran's accession as well as granting SCO partner status to Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

SCO sideline meeting between Putin and Raisi

There is plenty on Russian President Vladimir Putin's agenda. The leader plans to meet with three different leaders on the sidelines of the SCO meeting, namely Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In his meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, topics on Putin's agenda will include bilateral affairs, as well as international and regional security, in particular the JCPOA nuclear deal. 

Moreover, a new agreement is underway between the two countries in order to further strengthen their strategic partnership. This will be the fourth time the two leaders meet this year.

Read more: Putin to hold strategic meetings with Xi, Raisi, Erdogan in Samarkand