He stated, "We will become a full-fledged member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in July, when the next summit of the association is to take place," as quoted by the state TV.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attended the SCO summit in Samarkand on September 15-16, 2022. During the event, the Islamic Republic signed a memorandum of commitment to obtain the status of a member state of the organization. President Raisi described this milestone as a significant step in Iran's regional and international politics.

The next SCO summit, scheduled for July 4, will be held virtually under the chairmanship of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all member states will participate in the summit, while Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia have been invited as observers. Additionally, Turkmenistan has been invited as a guest.

The SCO was established with the signing of a declaration in Shanghai in June 2001 by six states: Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Currently, the organization also includes India and Pakistan as full members, with Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia serving as observer states. Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners of the SCO.