Iran to participate in SCO summit as organization's full member as early as next year - Russian presidential aide

MOSCOW. Sept 13 (Interfax) - Iran will be able to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit as a full member of the organization as early as next year, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.

"This summit in Samarkand will be unique in terms of the number of applications considered from other countries that are willing to join in the SCO activities in various formats. A memorandum on Iran's commitments to obtain membership will be signed," Ushakov told reporters on Tuesday.

"Having fulfilled these commitments, Iran will participate as a full member already at the next summit, which will be held in India in 2023. There will no longer be eight, there will be nine members," he added.

The process of processing Belarus' SCO membership will also begin in Samarkand, Ushakov said.

"Memorandums of dialogue partnership that are granted to Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will be signed. Decisions will also be made to start the procedure of granting similar status to Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar and the Maldives," the presidential aide said.

He noted the great interest of other countries to participate in the SCO.