BISHKEK, October 26. /TASS/. Iran considers it necessary for member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to intensify settlements in national currencies, First Vice President of Iran Mohammad Mokhber said on Thursday.

"For the formation of a new and fair world order, a transition to trade in national currencies is necessary, as well as strengthening cooperation on energy, industry and modern technologies. All this plays an important role, so we, in particular, call on the SCO member countries to intensify settlements in national currencies," he said at a meeting of the Council of heads of government of the SCO member states in an expanded format.

Along with Mokhber, the meeting was attended by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, the heads of government of Kazakhstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan.

Also invited to the meeting are the prime ministers of Belarus and Mongolia, who act as observer states, the high representative of Turkmenistan as a guest of the presiding party, and heads of executive bodies of a number of partner international organizations.