[A-List] Iran Applies For Shanghai Cooperation Organization Membership

["Tony B." <tal1@xxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Rick Rozoff
To: Stop NATO
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 8:34 AM
Subject: [stopnato] Iran Applies For Shanghai Cooperation Organization 
Membership


http://en.rian.ru/world/20080324/102052243.html

Russian Information Agency Novosti
March 24, 2008

Iran moves to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization


DUSHANBE - Iran has lodged a bid to join the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) that comprises Russia,
China and four ex-Soviet Central Asian states, the
country's foreign minister said on Monday.

The Islamic Republic, which currently holds an
observer status in the regional security group, has
long sought to become a full member of the SCO, seen
as a counterbalance to U.S. and NATO influence in the
region.

"Tajikistan supports us in this issue," Manouchehr
Mottaki said after a meeting with the foreign
ministers of SCO member Tajikistan and Afghanistan,
which is another SCO observer along with India,
Pakistan and Mongolia.

The bloc - which primarily addresses security issue
but has recently moved to embrace energy projects -
has indefinitely postponed accepting new members, but
pledged closer cooperation with the observer states.

Speaking at the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan in August
2007, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said,
"Everyone agreed that the moratorium should be
preserved for some time yet," adding that the alliance
"agreed to involve observer states more actively in
practical projects."
....
China and Russia have, however, major commercial
interests in Iran.

The energy-hungry Asian nation wants Iranian oil and
gas and to sell weapons and other goods to the Islamic
Republic. Moscow also hopes to sell more weapons and
nuclear energy technology to Tehran.

The Kremlin also needs Iran's endorsement for a
multinational arrangement to exploit the Caspian Sea's
energy resources.

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