Iran supports Belarus intention to become full member of SCO

"The SCO is a very important player in the economy, politics and security in our region. Countries such as China, India, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan can resist the collective West in all directions. We know that Belarus has started the procedure for joining this organization, and we, of course, support this. We are friendly countries and should use these opportunities to confront Europe and America," Yari said on Sunday on Belarusian ONT TV.

He said that relations between Belarus and Iran are currently at their peak level and pointed to the need for Minsk and Tehran to support each other in the international arena and fight against sanctions and other discriminatory steps of the West.

The Iranian Ambassador recalled that his country has been under Western sanctions for over 40 years, but it is in that period that Iran "became much stronger, we were able to achieve excellent results in nuclear energy, nanotechnology, stem cell research, and even space."

The SCO is an international organization founded by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in 2001. In 2017, India and Pakistan were also admitted to the organization.

In November, the Iranian parliament voted to back the Islamic Republic's membership in the SCO. Iran has been an observer in the organization, along with Belarus, Afghanistan, and Mongolia.

At the SCO summit in September, Belarus signed a document initiating the process of its admission. On September 26, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei expressed hope that Belarus would become a full SCO member by the end of 2023.

MNA/PR