TASHKENT, February 1. /TASS/. Iran's intelligence and security services are actively cooperating with the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the RATS press service reported.

According to the press service, SCO RATS Executive Committee Director Ruslan Mirzayev and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani discussed cooperation issues at a meeting in Tashkent on January 31.

"Mirzaev praised the beginning of the work of representatives of the competent authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the SCO RATS format and their active participation in the ongoing expert meetings," the relevant statement says. According to the press service, Iran's deputy foreign minister expressed Tehran’s interest in expanding cooperation with the SCO member states in the RATS format.

The statement added that during the meeting the participants also "discussed organizational and other issues related to the participation of Iranian representatives in the activities of the SCO RATS."

The SCO was founded in 2001 and currently counts India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan among its members, with Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia as observers, and Cambodia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as partner countries. Last July, at the SCO summit in New Delhi, Iran became a full member of the organization, and Belarus signed a memorandum of commitment to gain full membership status.

The SCO RATS is headquartered in Tashkent.