News - Middle East - Iran: Iranian President Sayyed Ebrahim Raeisi has called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to adopt new approaches so as to confront the United States’ unilateralism.

“There is no doubt that the US is after blocking these countries on their path to development,” he said.

He called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to “adopt special measures to confront the United States’ unilateralism and cruel sanctions.”

One of the solutions, he continued, is forming sustainable trade between the SCO member states which requires joint development of infrastructure in the areas such as financial transactions.

‘Transport sector in need of increased cooperation’

Raeisi described transport and energy security as two other key areas for the SCO. Referring to the lack of sufficient infrastructure in the transit sector among member states, he said Iran had given a special priority to the development of the North-South corridor, investing heavily in the project.

“In addition, the China-Central Asia-West Asia-Mediterranean Sea Corridor, which has high potential, is currently described as an important part of the solution for the development of trade between East and West Eurasia. With the cooperation of the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, it is possible to provide the necessary grounds for the implementation of this corridor and for the members to benefit from its advantages,” he added.

A sustainable transit requires multilateral cooperation between member states in developing needed infrastructure, he said, adding that Iran is ready to offer its transit network and the capacities of its ports in the Caspian Sea, Sea of Oman, and the Persian Gulf to boost the transit sector of the SCO.

Iran ready to solve SCO members’ energy concerns: Raeisi

Touching upon the issue of energy security and cooperation among members, Raeisi noted that owners of the world’s largest energy reserves as well as major energy-consuming countries are present in the SCO while other member states enjoy great potential for energy transit. “This combination is prone to the formation of diverse and effective cooperation in the field of energy.”

Iran, he continued, is ready to play an effective role in order to alleviate the concerns of the members in ensuring the security of energy supply, given its unique capacities, including its proximity to the world’s two largest oil and hydrocarbon fields, oil and gas transportation network and a suitable transit location and expert manpower.

The remarks come as Iran is set to officially join the Shanghai Cooperation Council. The SCO was founded by China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan in 2001. It currently constitutes the world’s biggest regional market with eight official members, and three observer states.

Iran and the organization started a formal process for Tehran’s accession to the bloc in March. Iran’s membership in the body was later approved by the Iranian administration.

Source: Press TV