Will the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) expand into the Middle East? Its July 9-10 summit in Ufa, in south-central Russia, suggests that this may be increasingly possible. Nevertheless, the process may take some time — and could face important challenges.
A week prior to the summit, Egypt submitted an application to the group, in which Iran is already an observer and Turkey is a “dialogue partner” — the level below observer status. At a news briefing in Ufa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the group’s membership rules prevent Iran from joining as long as it is under United Nations Security Council sanctions, adding, “The Vienna talks that are about to be completed, paving the way to the lifting of the sanctions, are very important for this reason.” SCO members agreed to upgrade India and Pakistan, now observers, to full membership by next year’s summit in Uzbekistan; they will be the first members beyond the founders.