On 15 September 2022, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming met with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of State Council Meeting in Samarkand.
During their conversation, the sides exchanged views on the current state of cooperation and its prospects, including in the context of the upcoming signing of the Memorandum on the Obligations of the Islamic Republic of Iran for obtaining the status of an SCO member state.
Iran has been involved in SCO activities as an observer state since 2005. Its representatives attend sessions of SCO statutory bodies, including the SCO Heads of State Council and the SCO Heads of Government Council, on a regular basis, as well as consultations at the level of foreign ministers of SCO member states, observer states and other concerned parties, as regards issues of ensuring regional security.