A memorandum of obligations on Iran's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) membership was signed at the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO held on Friday.

The meeting also started the procedure for Belarus' accession; granted Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar the status of SCO dialogue partners; reached an agreement on admitting Bahrain, the Maldives, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Myanmar as new dialogue partners; and adopted a series of resolutions, including a Comprehensive Plan for the Implementation of the SCO Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation for 2023-2027.  

(Cover: The Congress Hall where the Summit of the SCO is held, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, September 16, 2022. /CFP)