Iran has new big friends at Shanghai Cooperation SCO

Iran, India and Pakistan join the the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as observers. Kazakhstan foreign minister, Kassymozhomart Tokaev, tells reporters at Almaty that the SCO members have agreed to terms that would include the three countries as observers, paving the way for permanent membership.

The "Shanghai Five" was formed in Shanghai with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan and Tajikistan as its founding members. It was created as a diplomatic endevour to create policy on issues such as border disputes and military issues. An agreement titled "Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions" was signed in 1996. Analysts speculate that the Five members are believed to be bound together by mutual distrust of US hegemony in the region.

Iran's inclusion is significant since a little understood agreement in the SCO infers that the other members of SCO would intervene in the event of an attack. Iran have been making some big friends recently. India, Pakistan, Russia, China and Indonishia have all signed multi-year, multi-billion deals for oil and gas from Iran.


Iranian Republic News Agency, 6/2005

Jane's Intelligence, SCO