National interest and Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an example of the new regionalism in Asia, in April 1996 to join Russia, China, Central Asian states (except Turkmenistan) and observer status of Iran, India, Mongolia and Pakistan was formed. It seems that the primary purposes of the organization were resolving border disputes and strengthening mutual trust and good neighborly relations between members of the belt, which gradually led to the gradual development of the organization and its attention to issues of economic and business. This paper describes important aspects of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and seeks to answer the question of what Iran can benefit from full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and in this way, what opportunities and challenges to be confronted? This paper assumes Iran's permanent membership in an organization as subjected to a positive stance of Russia and China as the driving engine of the organization's members, and regards it in line with the strategy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the policy to gain the opportunity, security, economic, commercial, cultural, and also enhancing the bargaining power of the West. These are among the main reasons for the Iran’s interest in full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.