97
It is expected that Iran will receive full membership in the SCO by the next summit. One of the main reasons that why in previous summits Iran’s membership in
SCO has not been accepted by SCO was the placement of EU and US sanctions.
Diplomatically, Iran’s full membership in the SCO would constitute a formal interstate arrangement constituting a triangle of Russia, China, and Iran. This naturally
concerns US policymakers, as it marks the possible Eastern counterpart to NATO,
reversing years of American attempts to curtail Iran’s economic and political potential while actively presenting affront to US hegemony and its unilateralism in the
region. Any serious alliance between China, Iran, and Russia to some extent frustrates US effectiveness in the Middle East and Central Asia (Mousavi and Khodaee
2013:205).
The economic crisis of 2008 was a serious challenge for SCO members. During
the unfolding of the bust, SCO foreign and trade ministers discussed the need for an
anti-crisis package at that year’s meeting in Beijing but failed accordingly. The SCO
Head of Government Council (HGC) met in Astana on October 2008, but did not
make decision on an anti-crisis framework, deciding instead on cooperation in the
following areas
• creating stable and predictable conditions for mutual trade and investment, and
strengthening market mechanisms;
• increasing energy efficiency, developing green energy technologies, using renewable energy sources, and ensuring energy security;
• introducing innovative technologies;
• promoting transport projects;
• deepening interaction in customs control;
• developing cooperation in healthcare, particularly in the prevention, diagnosis,
and treatment of infectious diseases. (Luzyanin 2009:2)
SCO Energy Club
China’s surplus domestic energy demand is one of the principle factors behind the
country’s efforts to ensure the successful establishment of the SCO energy club. The
main idea of creating the club was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in
December 2006. The SCO Energy Club’s aims are split into four main divisions;
namely global, regional (i.e., Eurasian), sub-regional (i.e., Central Asian), and
national (Luzyanin 2009:2). Prior to the creation of the SCO, Russia’s attempts to
create an energy alliance were limited to within the framework of the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS). In 2001, Kazakhstan proposed the creation of just such
an alliance of CIS energy exporters composed of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan, and Russia—the main goal being to coordinate energy policies in order
to advance these countries’ position on the world energy market, thereby forming a
counterbalance to OPEC (Overland et al. 2010:165).
Regional Security and Economic Organization and Projects
It is expected that Iran will receive full membership in the SCO by the next summit. One of the main reasons that why in previous summits Iran’s membership in
SCO has not been accepted by SCO was the placement of EU and US sanctions.
Diplomatically, Iran’s full membership in the SCO would constitute a formal interstate arrangement constituting a triangle of Russia, China, and Iran. This naturally
concerns US policymakers, as it marks the possible Eastern counterpart to NATO,
reversing years of American attempts to curtail Iran’s economic and political potential while actively presenting affront to US hegemony and its unilateralism in the
region. Any serious alliance between China, Iran, and Russia to some extent frustrates US effectiveness in the Middle East and Central Asia (Mousavi and Khodaee
2013:205).
The economic crisis of 2008 was a serious challenge for SCO members. During
the unfolding of the bust, SCO foreign and trade ministers discussed the need for an
anti-crisis package at that year’s meeting in Beijing but failed accordingly. The SCO
Head of Government Council (HGC) met in Astana on October 2008, but did not
make decision on an anti-crisis framework, deciding instead on cooperation in the
following areas
• creating stable and predictable conditions for mutual trade and investment, and
strengthening market mechanisms;
• increasing energy efficiency, developing green energy technologies, using renewable energy sources, and ensuring energy security;
• introducing innovative technologies;
• promoting transport projects;
• deepening interaction in customs control;
• developing cooperation in healthcare, particularly in the prevention, diagnosis,
and treatment of infectious diseases. (Luzyanin 2009:2)
SCO Energy Club
China’s surplus domestic energy demand is one of the principle factors behind the
country’s efforts to ensure the successful establishment of the SCO energy club. The
main idea of creating the club was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in
December 2006. The SCO Energy Club’s aims are split into four main divisions;
namely global, regional (i.e., Eurasian), sub-regional (i.e., Central Asian), and
national (Luzyanin 2009:2). Prior to the creation of the SCO, Russia’s attempts to
create an energy alliance were limited to within the framework of the Commonwealth
of Independent States (CIS). In 2001, Kazakhstan proposed the creation of just such
an alliance of CIS energy exporters composed of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan, and Russia—the main goal being to coordinate energy policies in order
to advance these countries’ position on the world energy market, thereby forming a
counterbalance to OPEC (Overland et al. 2010:165).
Regional Security and Economic Organization and Projects