Iran's SCO membership yields fruitful outcomes

Iran's new administration is looking to enhance relations with China and other nations as the Middle Eastern country reaps the benefits of its year-old membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, officials and diplomats said.

Cong Peiwu, China's ambassador to Iran, said in an article in the Tehran Times on Monday that "China and Iran are both important developing countries and both adhere to true multilateralism".

"Since Iran successfully joined the SCO one year ago, it has actively participated in various cooperation under the SCO framework and achieved fruitful results," Cong said.

Iran's entry into the SCO has injected new vitality into the organization, which is in line with the expectations of the international community and the common interests of emerging market countries and developing countries, he added.

China stands ready to work with Iran and other SCO partners toward the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, enhance solidarity and mutual trust, build consensus on cooperation, expand cooperation across the board, actively participate in global governance, and advance the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, in order to "contribute more SCO strength to the lasting peace and common prosperity" of the world, Cong said.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesman of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a news conference on Monday that Iran would continue to pursue relations with China, one of the most important countries in the world.

Commenting on the future of relations between Teheran and Beijing in view of Masoud Pezeshkian's election as Iran's new president, Kanaani expressed the hope that Iran's relations with friendly countries, including China, would be promoted further.

He said Iran's foreign policy was based on promoting constructive interaction with all those countries that were ready to, in a reciprocal and constructive manner while observing mutual respect, work toward the expansion of bilateral ties, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Kanaani also mentioned promoting cultural, trade and political relations with neighboring countries, and resuming ties with some regional states with which relations had been severed.

Speaking at the SCO Green Development Forum, which was held in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Monday, Ali Salajegheh, head of Iran's Department of Environment, said that by leveraging their capacities, SCO members can make a difference for green development in the region, as well as become a perfect model for environmental cooperation at the global level, according to IRNA news agency.

Developing countries should make social and economic development the main priority, Salajegheh said, adding that the fight against poverty, the development of health and the provision of housing and energy are considered a basic priority in a significant part of the developing world.

Pezeshkian, a reformist and former health minister, was declared Iran's president on Saturday following a runoff election against principlist Saeed Jalili, a former chief negotiator in Iran's nuclear talks with world powers. Pezeshkian secured 16,384,403 votes compared with Jalili's 13,538,179.

Pezeshkian has exchanged views by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, among others, over the past days, according to Iran Press news agency.

mikegu@chinadailyhk.com