Iran’s accession into Shanghai bloc has implications

Islam Mohamed

Tehran’s accession into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization came after unanimous approval by its members.

This approval reinforces the eastward policy adopted by Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

The policy aims to enhance Iran’s relations with China and Russia.

The organization was established in 2001 as an intergovernmental organization dedicated to addressing political, economic and security issues and supporting cooperation among its members.

It is made up of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The countries forming the organization have a combined population that makes up almost 44% of the world’s inhabitants.

They include four nuclear powers or half of the world’s nuclear powers, and about a quarter of the global GDP.

This demonstrates the strategic importance of the organization.

Iranian media overplayed Iran’s accession into the organization, considering it a historic victory for new president, Ibrahim Raisi.

It said Raisi succeeded in accomplishing in a few weeks what his predecessors failed in accomplishing in years.

The fact was that the decision to admit Iran into the organization was taken in Moscow which objected to Iran’s accession into the same body over the past 16 years.

Russia agreed finally to allow Iran to join the organization.

Iranian media also exaggerated a Russian pledge to help Iran solve its banking crisis.

Nonetheless, the Iranian media did not provide a clear example of how Moscow contributed to easing the impact of international sanctions on Iran in the past period.

Earlier this year, Iran and China signed a 25-year strategic partnership that includes billions of dollars in Chinese investments in Iranian energy and infrastructure projects.

Iran works to improve its relations with the other major powers in the Shanghai Organization, especially Russia.

The two sides agreed to hold joint military exercises with Beijing later this year or early next year, in a repetition of trilateral naval maneuvers in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman in late 2019.