A new military alliance that includes half of humanity What do you know about the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?

Iran is the ninth and newest major member of the organization, along with Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan.

With the great support of Russia and China, Iran has become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which, according to many analysts, is a new military alliance in the face of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

During the summit of the organization, which was held in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, on September 17, 2021, the members agreed to amend Iran's status in the organization from an "observer" member to a "full" member.

What does Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization really mean?

Iran is the ninth and newest major member of the organization, along with Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India and Pakistan.

Founding.. "Shanghai Five"

April 26, 1996: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was established as a Eurasian regional bloc called the "Shanghai Five", comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

The heads of the five countries signed a treaty to deepen military confidence in the border areas.

- April 24, 1997: At the Moscow meeting, the same countries signed a treaty on the limitation of military forces in the border areas.

2000: Members of the Dushanbe Summit agreed to oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries under the pretext of humanity and the protection of human rights, and to support each other's efforts to protect the national independence of the five countries, sovereignty, territorial integrity and social stability.

June 15, 2001: The establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in its new form was officially announced after Uzbekistan joined the organization.

The Shanghai summit adopted a draft resolution that supports the continuation of the Treaty on the Banning of Ballistic Missiles signed between Moscow and Washington in 1972 as a "cornerstone for achieving global stability and arms control" in the face of the American anti-missile project.

Saint Petersburg Summit Charter Signing

June 2002: At the Saint Petersburg Summit, the organization's charter was signed, which explains the goals, principles, structures and forms of work of the organization, for its recognition in international law.

September 19, 2003: The charter of the organization entered into force.

In accordance with the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, summits of the Council of Heads of State are held annually in specified places alternately, in alphabetical order of the name of the member state in Russian.

The Charter also provides that the members of the Council of Heads of Government (i.e., Prime Ministers) meet annually at a place decided by the members of the Council.

The OIC Council of Foreign Ministers holds a summit a month before the annual summit of heads of state.Any two member states may call for extraordinary meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers.

Astana the beginning of the launch

July 2005: During the Astana Summit, representatives of India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan participated as "observers".

- The head of the host country, Nursultan Nazarbayev, began his speech by saying, "The leaders of the countries who sit at the negotiating table are representatives of half of humanity."

2004: The organization became an observer in the United Nations General Assembly.

2005: Became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

2007: The countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization - which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to add to Russia - signed more than 20 joint documents, most notably linking the organization to the Shanghai Security Cooperation Organization headed by China.

2011: Joined the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

2014: Joined the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia.

2015: Joined the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations.

July 2015: The organization decided to accept India and Pakistan as full members.

June 2016: India and Pakistan signed the Memorandum of Commitments in Tashkent, thus beginning the formal process of joining the organization as full members.

June 9, 2017: India and Pakistan joined the organization as full members at the Astana Summit.

Observing countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia.

- Both Egypt and Syria have applied for observer status.

The official working languages ​​of the Organization are Chinese and Russian.

The headquarters of the OIC General Secretariat is in the Chinese capital, Beijing.

Dialogue Partners

2008: The position of dialogue partner was established in accordance with Article 14 of the charter of the organization, and this article deals with a dialogue partner as a country or organization that shares its goals and principles with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and wishes to establish partnership relations with it.

- Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka have already obtained the status of dialogue partner, while Israel, Iraq, the Maldives, Ukraine and Vietnam have applied for it.

2012: Turkey, a member of NATO, was granted dialogue partner status during the group's summit held in Beijing.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (at the time) stated that Turkey could give up its candidacy for membership in the European Union in exchange for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

November 21, 2016: After a series of tensions between Turkey and the European Union, President Erdogan once again confirmed the possibility of Turkey giving up its candidacy for membership in the Union in exchange for full membership in the Shanghai Organization.

November 23, 2016: Turkey was granted the presidency of the Energy Club of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization for the period 2017, which made Turkey the first country to chair a club in the organization without obtaining full membership.

The membership of the Shanghai Organization opens more prospects for trade and economic cooperation for Ankara, given that its 4 largest trading partners are the United States, China, Switzerland and Russia, while the European Union is the fifth largest partner.

Shanghai Organization Missions and Objectives

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization aims to strengthen the policy of good-neighborliness among the member states, as well as to support cooperation between them in various political, economic, social and security fields, and to confront international blocs by working to establish a "democratic and just" international order.

Since its establishment, security cooperation has been one of the main tasks of the organization, and it remains a top priority and a major goal in the future.

The organization declares that it is working to combat terrorism, confront extremism and separatist movements, and address the arms and drug trade.

- As of November 2016, the organization included a quarter of the Earth's population, and after India, Pakistan and Iran joined it, it included nearly half of humanity, making it the cornerstone of a new pluralistic world order.