Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that all members in Shanghai Cooperation organization (SCO) agree on joining Iran to the regional bloc.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that all members in Shanghai Cooperation organization (SCO) agree on joining Iran to the regional bloc.

Al-Manar correspondent in Russia quoted Lavorv as saying: “We will look into the expansion of the organization.”

During a summit for the SCO’s foreign ministers in Ufa, Lavrov said joining Iran can take place as far as the Islamic Republic’s nuclear issue is settled by the end of June.

The top Russian diplomat added that the SCO would also look into joining India and Pakistan.

The SCO is an intergovernmental organization which seeks to strengthen mutual trust and facilitate effective cooperation between its member states in political, trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural areas as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection.

It was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Iran, along with four other countries, currently holds observer status in the organization.