The Eurasian political organisation is currently comprised of China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with Iran as an observer state.
"We expect a memorandum to be signed in Samarkand in September 2022. This means Iran will begin the concrete process of accession", Bakhtiyer Khakimov told reporters on the sidelines of a SCO national coordinators' meeting in Tashkent.
Uzbekistan, which holds the rotating SCO presidency, has shared a draft memorandum listing conditions for Iran's accession with other members. Khakimov said that every aspiring member state has a tailored list of criteria to meet.