Moscow-Sana
The envoy of the Russian President for the affairs of the Shanghai Organization, Bakhtiar Khakimov, said today that work is continuing to expand the member states of the organization.
Asked if the decision would be taken at the upcoming Dushanbe summit, Khakimov told TASS: "Let's not rush things. It is a difficult process that requires compatible solutions, and the organization's criteria for candidates must be taken into account."
Hekimov explained that the membership applications submitted by Afghanistan and Iran are under study, in addition to a number of requests from other countries seeking to join as observers or partners.
“We believe that instead of technically increasing the number of member states, it is more important to ensure that these candidate countries will play a role within the framework of the organization and effectively use the opportunities it presents, and consultations continue in the matter,” Khakimov added.
It is noteworthy that Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit on September 16, and will last for two days.