Sooner or later Iran's application for membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will be granted; this will happen after the UN Security Council sanctions are lifted from the country, Russian presidential adviser Anton Kobyakov said at a briefing.
"The consideration of the Iranian application is on the agenda. Sooner or later this application will be granted, after the UN Security Council sanctions are lifted," Kobyakov said.
According to the official, the meeting of the SCO foreign ministers' council in Moscow was the final stage in preparing for the SCO summit and during the meeting a breakthrough decision of principle importance - to begin the acceptance procedure on India and Pakistan - was made.
"It is expected that the start of the organization expansion will be announced at the summit due to take place in Ufa," Kobyakov said.
On July 2 the SCO secretariat received Egypt's application for partnering state status. As of now, there are eleven applications to join the SCO and participate in its work, he said.
