MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Senior diplomats from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have called for settling the conflict around Iran by political and diplomatic means as soon as possible, the Russian Foreign Ministry said after their consultations in Moscow.

"The participants expressed serious concern over the dramatic escalation of tension in the world as a result of the United States and Israel’s aggressive actions against Iran, which is an SCO member state. They stressed the need for the soonest political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict," it said.

The senior diplomats also unanimously stated the need for forming a more representative, democratic, and fair multipolar world order, with the United Nations playing the pivotal coordinating role. They also stressed the importance of closer foreign policy coordination between the SCO members to defend their interests in the global arena and build an architecture of equal and indivisible security and sustainable growth in Eurasia.

In addition, Belarusian representatives briefed the participants on the work on the Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century. Other topics on the agenda included prospects for building pragmatic dialogue with Kabul, the resumption of the activities of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group and other formats of cooperation.

The consultations between SCO deputy foreign ministers were held on April 24 and were chaired by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko. The participants also discussed top priority measures to implement the SCO leaders’ agreements on improving the organization’s work in the present-day situation.