Editorial Iran.ru

Past June 3-4 meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO and the conference "Security and stability in the region" began the final stage of a large-scale preparation for the July summit of the organization in Ufa. The Russian side, of course, want to be the final one-year presidency marked a major breakthrough, proving that the SCO - an effective instrument of regional stability and economic development. Therefore, the topics discussed during these two days of June were a sharper another.

An event of this level, as the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, is always accompanied by a huge preparatory work. May 31 in Moscow, the approval of the final resolution, which should be July 10 to accept the head of the SCO member states. Somewhat earlier, the work was launched a package of important documents: the draft strategy of the organization until 2025, the program to combat terrorism, extremism and separatism; an agreement on cooperation on border issues and the statement of the problem of the drug menace in the region.

Documents, as we can see, more than principle, but this did not stop the diplomats - in the course of the meeting the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO Moscow voiced the initiative, including the adoption of a special statement on the prospects for Iran's membership in the organization, review at the site of the SCO interface issues of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC) and the mega-project of Beijing "Economic times of the Silk Road" as well as the institution of a somewhat cumbersome title "International Center of pre-training and financing of projects of the SCO."

However, all this abundance of documents fit into the four key questions, the answers to which the Organization should be addressed urgently:

- Firstly, how to combine the EAEC with the Chinese strategy of "Silk Road" in such a way as to receive and preferences, and absolute economic dominance in Beijing so-called "SCO region" does not happen?

- Secondly, how to engage Iran to participate more actively in the work of the Organization, thus surpassing the condition laid down in the statutory documents even when it was created - that the SCO member state should not be under UN sanctions?

- Third, how to ensure that the expansion of the Organization in the light of the forthcoming entry into her India and Pakistan, has not led to the fact that because of the contradictions between the SCO member states would lose efficiency?

- And finally, fourthly, you need to do to ensure the security of SCO? What is becoming more than actual in anticipation of the planned confrontation related to the fact that the US generates two giant trading blocs - Transatlantic Investment Partnership (Trans-Atlantic Trade Investment Partnership - TTIP) and Transtihookeanskoe Trade Partnership (Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership - TTP). For that, of course, Eurasian markets are of great interest, and in the struggle for control of markets as well aware of the rules of decency and any restrictions in the choice of means does not exist.

The problem for the leaders of SCO member states lies in the fact that all of the above questions is not enough that are closely linked to each other, but also is urgent and immediate. And from them effectively depends, will the SCO full regional players or slide on the decorative role of education.

Indecent prolonged waiting Iran

The preparations for the SCO summit marked an initiative that, according to its authors, is able to cut the "Gordian knot" in relation to membership in the Organization of Tehran. "We examined the request of Iran, we, who in 2005 actively, actively participates in the work of the SCO as an observer State "- said Sergey Lavrov at a press conference following the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the SCO. - "We are all in favor of raising the status of Iran in our organization in the context of a comprehensive settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue."

Translated from the diplomatic in Russian, in the course of the consultations, it was decided that the issue of Iran joining the SCO as a full member is no longer tied to the issue of removal from the sanctions, and to the agreement between Iran and the "six" of international observers. What, according to calculations optimists must occur by June 30. True, this does not mean that during the summit in Ufa on July 9-10, Iran will become a member of the SCO. It will be a kind of "special statement" about the prospects for such membership. From this initiative of Russian diplomacy should be two very interesting and far-reaching conclusions. First of all, it is clear that 25 days before the "target date" for the talks has not resolved the fundamental question - will mean the signing of an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program the automatic cancellation of UN sanctions or whether they will simply "frozen". In addition, it is clear that the controversy on the issue of Iran's full membership in the SCO among the participating States of the Organization for ten years and have not been overcome.

"Linking the issue of Iran's membership in the SCO with the lifting of the sanctions unjust" - said the Iranian ambassador in Moscow, Mehdi Sanai. Moreover, even the decision, according to which entry of Tehran is not tied to the lifting of sanctions, and to "reach agreement on a comprehensive settlement of the Iranian nuclear program" - a half-hearted, vague and vulnerable to the impact of "third party", such as delaying consideration of the fate of these UN sanctions, apparently for the authors of this initiative. But on the other hand, Iran is playing very important role in the region, has enormous experience in the struggle against international terrorism, it has effective methods of combating drug trafficking and drug trafficking, and without its active participation seriously address the key issues of security and the economy is impossible.

As a result, in Moscow at the trilateral meeting of the heads of diplomatic missions of Iran, Russia and China had agreed to some "compromise formula", which retains an interest in the development of Tehran's cooperation with the SCO. Iran is guaranteed entry into the organization after the conclusion of agreements on its nuclear program. Moreover, both the Russian and the Chinese minister assured his counterpart Javad Zarif that after the signature on the documents on the Iranian nuclear issue will be delivered, and Moscow and Beijing will no longer be considered the basis for international sanctions any restrictions in the development of economic and military technical cooperation with Iran. In particular, Sergei Lavrov, once again publicly confirmed that the agreement to supply Iran with S-300 remain valid: "We simply noted that the training is to be delivered, she soon realized". While noting that the bilateral relations between Moscow and Tehran develop " successfully - in accordance with the agreements of our presidents. "

Apparently, the proposed "compromise formula" Tehran completely arranged. And, guided by the principle of "strike while the iron is hot", the Iranian side immediately offered to extend the format of talks on security between the two countries, filling it with concrete proposals on military-technical cooperation and the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and extremism.

Moscow and Beijing have taken this proposal very favorably. Thus, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that "China intends to strengthen cooperation with Iran in trade-economic, energy and other traditional areas, as well as expand cooperation in new areas within the" economic zone Silk Road "and" Maritime Silk Road of the 21st century '', including in improving transport and communication capabilities, and increasing investment in production. "

This position has allowed Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ibrahim has Rahimpuru June 4 to make a very meaningful statement: "Iran has the right to negotiate on the issue of security, including on the issue of missile defense ... and it is our right - it's natural to protect the territory of our country we have the right to negotiate with the various states. " Noting that "a process that takes place - it is a two way process with both Russia and China."

Regional security issues and the expansion of the SCO

Events in the Middle East, not to mention the obsessive "Ukrainian issue", significantly reduced the interest of the media and experts, the so-called "SCO region." Vivid and chilling media images, which flocked to journalists and commentators, there really fortunately unavailable. But the trends are becoming alarming. Bleeding wound of the region remains Afghanistan, chronic "boiler trouble" for its neighbors that State. Hiding behind "fig leaf" in the form of treatment of the Parliament with a request "to stay to enhance security," the United States continues its presence in the country, close monitoring tools destabilization of Balochistan, Iranian, Pakistani, Chinese to Xinjiang and post-Soviet Central Asia.

Security of their presence somehow does not increase, but the presence of this alternative - a comprehensive dialogue of the countries involved in the activities of SCO - not yet formed. "Extremism is a threat to all States of the region. And to counter this phenomenon, it is necessary regional and trans-regional cooperation ", - he reminded his colleagues in Moscow, the head of the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. - "We need to consolidate the individual and collective strategies to confront this phenomenon (the spread of the IG), to eradicate evil. In the name of the need to unite their efforts in the fight against impunity exaltation of desire for domination in the region. "

The clash of ambitions, fears and mythical very specific suspicions against other dialogue partners - that's a real problem that prevents the formation of a coherent and effective security mechanism in the region. And the very real danger that "the expansion of the SCO", increasing it only in terms of quantity - the number of participating countries, the growth of the capacity will not.

In itself, this "expansion", which is constantly talking about the animated due to a change in the status of the India and Pakistan - is not the primary task, no matter how tried to convince us otherwise officials who organize the activities of the SCO. Problems are there so many that it is time to reflect on the use of a simple rule - "less is better." Wake-up call in this respect was the tone of statements made by the current Secretary General of the Organization Dmitry Mezentsev on the membership of New Delhi and Islamabad.

In contrast to the optimistic statements heard earlier, Secretary General of the SCO this time was much more reserved, explaining that although the forthcoming summit in Ufa, and is expected to adopt a political decision to start joining India and Pakistan have yet to perform extensive work before they become full members of the organization. Actually, a "political solution" means only the beginning "to the very complex, laborious and significantly over time - will not predict - the process of accession of these two states to the 27 documents that should be ratified, and under which the two countries should sign wishing to acquire the status of a full-fledged member of the SCO. Therefore, the political decision to start accession - it does not mean that these countries become members of the SCO, "- stated Mezentsev.

On the sidelines of the SCO similar restraint functionaries explain that if Pakistan continues to maintain an interest in participating in the work of the Organization, the India it was a loss. What, in general, and it was expected, since some alternative axis "Beijing - Moscow - New Delhi" has always existed only in the imaginations of experts. Who frankly do not understand the depth of relations and contradictions between the two countries, especially between India and China. And besides, frankly overrated interest New Delhi in contacts with Moscow.

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At the last in Moscow in these days of June events, which were a dress rehearsal for the SCO summit on July 9-10 in Ufa, it was said many correct words sounded more relevant and realistic proposals. Quite clearly and insistently sounded the idea that without the active participation of Iran, many application security issues will remain on paper. In this regard it should be noted that the current situation with the "extension" of the lesson should be applied in very aspect. Not only does membership in the SCO should be Iran, but Iran and its political influence and potential needs of the Organization. The sooner it is resolved the issue of full membership, the easier it will be to unravel the knots of contradictions in the "SCO region." So, will the real prospect of the Organization to make the procedure more efficient.