Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian assessed developments in Iran, Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State summit in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Pezeshkian said developments in these areas threaten not only local security but also stability across the region and the world. The Iranian president said the SCO should strengthen its mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation.
Call for the US to honor its commitments
Recalling that an agreement known as the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding was reached after nearly three months of negotiations mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, Pezeshkian argued that the US administration had violated its commitments.
Pezeshkian said the United States remained committed to a document bearing the signature of its own president for less than two weeks, and then made excessive demands. He said Iran had responded proportionately to the US violation of its commitments, adding: “If the United States returns to its commitments, the Islamic Republic of Iran will also take immediate action.”
Proposals to strengthen the SCO’s security capacity
Pezeshkian described US attacks against Iran as attacks against an SCO member state and an ancient civilization. He said developments in the region were linked to the disregard of international law and the continuation of approaches based on force.
Stating that the SCO’s institutional capacity should be increased to combat terrorism, extremism and emerging security threats, Pezeshkian announced that Iran had proposed establishing an SCO Center for Strategic Security Studies. The center is intended to identify new threats by drawing on the scientific and expert capacities of member states, assess security developments and provide expert recommendations for regional stability.
The Iranian president also proposed establishing a parliamentary assembly of SCO member states. He said the proposal aims to strengthen interparliamentary dialogue, facilitate the sharing of legislative experience and support cooperation among member states.
