Iran Plays Up Its Progress in Joining the SCO

On Nov. 27, the Iranian parliament ratified documents related to the country’s forthcoming joining of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), including customs, joint military exercises (including anti-terrorism), and so on, according to Mehr News Agency. Abolfazl Amouei, the spokesman for the parliament’s foreign policy and national security commission, used the occasion to emphasize that this administrative step “conveys the message of Iran’s multilateralism … [in] confronting the imposition of unilateral sanctions.” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian wrote on Twitter that the vote “shows the determination and seriousness of our country to develop regional, international and economic cooperation and strengthen its outlook towards Asia.” He added that “multilateralism is the reality of the present century.” (https://twitter.com/Amirabdolahian/status/1596799131846344705)