Iranian Foreign Minister’s Assistant for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari announced that “Iran’s official membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be determined at a meeting in Samarkand,” the Iranian News Agency (IRNA) reported.

On the eve of the visit of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi to Uzbekistan scheduled for next Wednesday to participate in the 22nd summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, he noted that “the Foreign Ministry has organized from 400 to 500 contracts in this area in coordination with other organizations.”

Safari explained that, in addition to participating in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Raisi will visit Uzbekistan on a bilateral visit, noting that relations with Uzbekistan are developing very well and 18 to 23 documents in energy and other fields have been prepared for signing.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was established as an international organization in 2001. Its members are India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Observer countries in the organization are Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia, and partner countries are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka.