NEW DELHI, July 4. /TASS/. Iran’s membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will help implement regional infrastructure projects such as the Chabahar transport corridor, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.
He noted that Iran being a member will assist in "working on a more active implementation of the Chabahar port project." "International transport corridors are very important, they will facilitate the rapprochement of our regions. We must unlock the full potential of these projects," Modi said at the SCO Heads of State Council held in an online format.
The Indian prime minister congratulated Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Iranian people on joining the organization. He also reiterated that a memorandum would be signed on Tuesday on Belarus’ intention to become the SCO’s full-fledged member. Modi noted that other countries are also interested in the organization. The Indian leader stressed that in the process of expanding the organization, he thinks it necessary to focus on the interests and expectations of Central Asian countries.
The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai. Initially, the organization included six countries, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in 2017, they were joined by India and Pakistan.