Lavrov confirms Iran's full membership to SCO, what does this mean for the country?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran will gain a full-fledged membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), next week. The comments by the Russian diplomat came during an online briefing on June 30, Tass reported. Lavrov announced that in addition to Iran assuming full membership, the group will also sign a memorandum on Belarus' obligation for joining the group. It has been a long struggle for Iran to gain membership in the regional body. 

The Middle Eastern country gained the status of an acceding member of the body in September 2021, and Belarus, on the other hand, got the same status a year after. On July 4, the summit will be held virtually in India and leaders from member states comprising China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are expected to take part in the meeting. In the Friday briefing, the Russian Foreign Minister confirmed that the member states are welcoming Iran to the growing family. 

"At the upcoming July 4 meeting of the Council of Heads of State [of the organization], Iran's full membership will be formalized, and a memorandum of commitment by Belarus will be signed, which will also launch the procedure for its full accession to the Shanghai [cooperation] organization," he said. "From now on, the SCO space, taking into account both new members and dialogue partner states, stretches from Europe and the Middle East to South and Southeast Asia," he added. Iran will become a full member after 17 years of waiting. 

What does it mean for Iran?

Iran has been an observer nation in the SCO since 2005 and its bid for full and permanent membership was approved by the organisation at the 2021 Summit in Dushanbe. In 2022, a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Iran at the 2022 Summit held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. With this upcoming stamp of approval, this is the first time Iran has become a full member of a major regional bloc since its 1979 revolution.

The country has faced multiple sanctions from the West, especially the United States, that accused the nation of human rights abuse. The nationwide protest that erupted following the suspicious death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini also put the country in a bad light when it comes to women’s rights. Hence, with this membership, Iran will get access to built ties with economic giants like China, Russia, India, etc. It will also provide the country with a space to formulate International economic ties and foreign diplomacy. The membership also provides Iran significant access to the Central Asian region. 

SCO: A body that keeps growing

In recent years, SCO has become one of the most prominent regional bodies in the geopolitical arena. The body was originally called the Shanghai Five and was created in 1996 to foster border confidence between China and former members of the Soviet Union, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The original motive was to build corporations and ensure demilitarization in the borders shared between these countries.

However, the organisation has grown on a great scale and included multiple new members. In June 2017, India and Pakistan became full members of the group and the area of cooperation has expanded significantly. This year, New Delhi will preside over the body and organise the summit virtually on July 4.