Positive Outcome of Iran Talks to Benefit SCO States – Kazakh FM

A positive outcome of the Iran nuclear talks would open cooperation opportunities for members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov told Sputnik on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The P5+1 group of international mediators and Iran are working to sign an agreement guaranteeing the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear energy program by the June 30 deadline.

"Naturally, a positive outcome of the talks on the Iranian nuclear program would open vast possibilities for the SCO region in terms of trade, economic, infrastructure, cultural and humanitarian cooperation," Idrissov said.

He said the organization would welcome Iran’s membership of the SCO in the future, pointing out that Kazakhstan has always been on friendly terms with the Islamic republic.

Idrissov said Kazakhstan highly valued the results of previous negotiations between Iran and P5+1 countries, comprising Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

At the moment, Iran, alongside Afghanistan, India, Mongolia and Pakistan, has observer status in the SCO.

In April, Iran and the P5+1 group worked out a political framework agreement on Iran's nuclear program in Lausanne, Switzerland. Under the deal, Tehran promised to cut back its uranium enrichment levels and reduce its number of centrifuges, in exchange for the easing of international sanctions.