IANS | 10 Jul, 2023
The entry of Iran in the SCO marks the beginning of a significant
chapter in the history of the grouping, as the inclusion of a Middle
Eastern nation in a platform consisting of nations mostly situated in
Central Asia and South Asia, is expected to increases its influence in
the region.
In geo-political terms, Iran's inclusion in the SCO
will allow the grouping to leverage its new found presence in the Middle
East to try and deal with situations prevailing in conflict zones like
Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Also with Iran having huge reserves
of oil and gas, its inclusion will boost the energy requirements of SCO
nations, while trade ties will also receive a lot of impetus as the
country has a wide range of industries related to auto, oil and gas as
well as variousother sectors, which will widen the ambit of trade of the
member nations and also lead to greater investment in the Eurasian
region.
Inclusion of Iran will also widen connectivity and
lead to newer trade routes between Central and South Asia. Technology
transfer and greater cooperation in various fields will also open up
among nations. Most significantly, Iran's inclusion will also help in
enhanced security and intelligence cooperation among SCO members, which
will bolster stability in the region. It will also add strength to SCO's
commitment to combat extremism and terrorism in the region. Diplomatic
ties too will get an impetus and SCO will emerge as a strong regional
player in the region and underscore the need for establishment of peace
and stability.