Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has voiced Moscow’s support for Iran’s permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Lavrov made the remark in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in the Azeri capital, Baku, on Thursday.

Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are the six permanent members of the SCO. Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia have observer status.

The SCO was formed in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to curb extremism in the region and enhance border security.

The intergovernmental organization seeks to strengthen mutual trust and good neighborly ties between the member countries, contribute to regional stability and facilitate cooperation in different sectors, including political, trade, economic and energy issues.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Lavrov said Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the lifting of banking sanctions against Iran.

The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, welcomed further cooperation with Russia, particularly the promotion of economic ties.

The two top diplomats also underlined the need for the development of Tehran-Moscow cooperation in the defense sector.

They also discussed the latest developments in Syria and the international efforts underway to put an end to the crisis in the Arab country through political means.

An Armenia-backed soldier adjusts a cannon’s aim at artillery positions near the town of Martuni in the Karabakh region, April 7, 2016. ©Reuters

The meeting came on the sidelines of trilateral talks between Azeri, Iranian and Russian foreign ministers to discuss regional issues, including recent hostilities in the Caucasus region of Karabakh.

The new spate of clashes, involving heavy artillery and rockets, broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh on April 1. At least 75 people have been killed after four days of fighting.

The two sides agreed to the ceasefire on April 5 but continue to accuse each other of violating the truce.