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The senator, who is also a former foreign minister, admitted that while since independence Uzbekistan had diplomatic relations with countries in the West such as the US and Germany, for much of the last 25 years there was “almost zero contact” with Uzbekistan's immediate neighbours in Central Asia.
“When Central Asia countries started to consider themselves as a zone with shared
economic and ecological problems, Uzbekistan emerged as a regional player, adapting to the new realities as well as starting to deal with global issues,” says Safoyev. “All in all, Uzbekistan is starting to consolidate its position as a regional power and beyond.”
Mirziyoyev is actively building up those new relations with a recent trip to Germany that raised billions in
investment promises that was almost immediately followed by a trip to Xi’an as part of the “5+1” format meeting between China and leaders of the five ‘Stans.
Given the difficulties caused by the current geopolitical tensions between East and West, Mirziyoyev is trying to balance the various interests and build a multi-vector foreign policy based on his country’s national interest.
Iran officially joins Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as full member
bne IntelliNews
Iran has formally become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), marking a significant moment in the country's international relations.
The news was confirmed on July 4, in
a declaration adopted at the conclusion of the online SCO summit held in New Delhi. The timing does appear to be arbitrary either, as it coincided with the Independence Day of its implacable foe, the US.
Clerics rejoice
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi commended the decision via videolink,
stating that it would create conditions for enhancing security, sovereignty and sustainable economic development within the country.
Raisi also called for a swift transition to settlements in national currencies between nations and for eschewing the US dollar in bilateral trade, highlighting the crucial role of economic independence.
“The hegemony of the Western world contributes to the hegemony of the dollar,” Raisi said.
“In order to create a new economic order, it is necessary to remove this instrument
of hegemony in world practice, to use national currencies in settlements between countries,” he added.
The official declaration published on the Kremlin's website reads: “Member states stressed the historic significance of the admission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the SCO as a full member state.”
This signing is a coup de theatre for the Kremlin, mired in its war in Ukraine, and for China, which has been flexing its international diplomatic muscles
in recent months by bringing both
Iran and Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table to establish a truce, backed by Beijing.
The SCO summit, which took place remotely in New Delhi on July 4, culminated in the signing of the New Delhi Declaration by the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.
The declaration reaffirmed that the association's aims are not directed against other countries and underlined its openness to broad co-operation.
Iran's acceptance as the ninth
full member of the SCO also now underscores the changing dynamics of international relations in the region.
Since the inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the clerical leadership has been
Iran's flag is formally raised at the SCO headquarters. / SCO
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