Iran proposes setting up joint free zones at SCO summit

Addressing the 24th meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)’s Summit held in Kazakh capital of Astana, Mokhber said that member states of the organization have high potentials and capabilities in the fields of trade, production, energy, transportation, agriculture, customs, telecommunications and also the development of the technology in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), so that these capacities should be used in interest of well-being of nations, stabilization of the sustainable peace an inclusive development in SCO region and across the world.

“Since transit and commercial activities are considered complementary, we propose to initiate at the organizational level the creation of a network of common free [economic] zones and conclude economic agreements such as preferential and free trade agreements,” he said at the SCO summit in Astana.

He noted that the activation of transit corridors plays a key role in simplifying trade processes, as well as in economic development and, as a consequence, in the political stability of member countries.

Mokhber then called on member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to ditch US dollar in bilateral transactions and set up a joint bank among themselves.

He then congratulated the full membership of the Republic of Belarus at Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). 

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mokhber called on all countries in the world to take effective steps in ceasing the brutalities and genocidal war of the Zionist regime against the oppressed Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and also stopping to send weapons for this fake regime. 

The high potentials and capacities of SCO’s member states should be used optimally for the economic development and the political stability of the member states more than before, he said, urging the member states to use the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and also southern Iranian ports to do business with the other countries. 
Setting up a joint bank between SCO’s member states is a need to advance the joint economic projects, Mokhber added. 

The full text of Mokhber’s speech to the summit is as follows, according to the website of the Iranian president’s office:

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

His Excellency Mr Tokayev, the honorable President of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

Respected Presidents of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization;

Excellencies;

At the outset, I would like to cherish the memory of Martyr President Mr Dr Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Martyr Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Hossein Amirabdollahian and their efforts and effective role in advancing multilateral diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the past three years, especially membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS and appreciate the expression of sympathy, sending messages and sending representatives of the member countries to participate in their commemoration ceremony.

I would like to express my gratitude for the efforts made by Mr Tokayev, the respected President of Kazakhstan and the government of this country during the past one year and during the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. I also congratulate Mr Lukashenko and the people of the Republic of Belarus on the full membership of the Republic of Belarus in the organisation. We offer our condolences to the Russian government and the people of Russia for the recent terrorist incidents in Derbent and Makhachkala, and we express our sympathy to the survivors of this bitter incident.

Dear audience;

Unfortunately, during the past 9 months and contrary to all international standards and human ethics, we are witnessing a widespread wave of genocide, war crimes, mass killing of innocent women and children of Gaza by the Zionist Regime.

We strongly condemn the continuation of brutal, organized crimes by the Zionist Regime with the support of the United States against the resistant and oppressed people of Gaza, which has stunned the human society and left international organizations in inaction. We emphasize the necessity of effective measures by countries, especially by the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to immediately stop the war crimes of the Zionist Regime and the need to send immediate, sufficient and unhindered humanitarian aid to all of Gaza.

Excellencies;

There are many opportunities and capacities in the territory of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the field of trade, production, energy, transportation, agriculture, customs, telecommunications, as well as the development of technology in the field of artificial intelligence, for interaction, which should be used for the benefit of the welfare of nations and consolidation of sustainable peace and inclusive development in the Shanghai region and around the world. The activation of transit corridors plays a key role in facilitating trade as well as in economic development and as a result the political stability of the member countries.

We believe that the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization can trade with the countries of the world through the North-South Corridor and through the southern ports of Iran at a lower cost and faster.

Considering that transit and commercial activities are complementary to each other, we suggest creating "joint free zones network" and "establish economic agreements such as preferential and free trade agreements" at the organization level.

Excellencies;

The Islamic Republic of Iran is strongly opposed to the use of political tools, especially unilateral sanctions in the field of energy, and as a major producer of energy resources, especially oil and gas, it has always followed the policy of multilateralism in the field of energy and has actively participated in drafting the document of "The Strategy of Energy Cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization" and supports its approval and implementation.

Fortunately, the issue of using national currencies and increasing their share in the settlement of trade funds between member countries has been seriously placed on the organization’s agenda, and the Islamic Republic of Iran supports multi-party exchanges for the continuation of negotiation with specialized working groups in this field until the ultimate goal is achieved, which is the reduction or elimination of the dollar.

According to the experience gained under the organization’s banking union, in our opinion, "Establishment of the Shanghai Joint Bank" can improve the level of cooperation of the member countries in the financial and economic fields.

Also, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its full readiness to implement the "operational program of scientific and technological cooperation among the member countries of the organization in priority areas", especially in the field of the latest medical technologies, biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

Excellencies;

The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the documents and understandings made in the Shanghai Organization, including the comprehensive and long-term document of "Organization Cooperation Development Strategy" and other related documents.

In the end, while congratulating the People's Republic of China as the next President of the Shanghai Organization, I would like to thank the friendly and brotherly government and nation of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their worthy hosting and warm hospitality.

I am confident that the decisions and agreements that will be made following the results of today's meeting will play a significant role in increasing the level of coordination to jointly deal with current and emerging threats and challenges, as well as improving the level of cooperation between member countries in various economic, political, scientific and cultural fields.

Thank you for your attention