"In general, today, even without the inclusion of new players in the SCO, [the organization] has already become the most important structure of the world order, of a multifaceted multipolar world," Dr. Stanislav Pritchin told Sputnik. "In my opinion, there is a huge potential for creating financial infrastructure, because we all see how the dependence on Western international financial organizations, infrastructure, and the exchange of banking information affects the cooperation of states even within the SCO. (…) We need to create our own infrastructure, our own reserve currencies, regional ones, and create opportunities for trade, regardless of external players. And in this regard, the potential of the SCO, of course, is huge, taking into account the economic potential of China, India, and Russia's other partners."
"When it comes to Iran's accession to the SCO, the crux of the matter is that Iran has long wanted to join the organization, and only now it has happened," continued Pritchin. "This is a direct consequence of both Russia's special military operation [in Ukraine] and the serious deterioration of US-Chinese relations. Now the countries of the region, the SCO member states, in principle, make decisions without regard for the position and opinion of Western countries. And this shows the subjectivity and independence of this organization. From the point of view of the SCO's potential, the involvement of Iran is a very important development, because a major power of 80 million people is a serious player in the field of security, our partner in [the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)], in the security system in the Caspian Sea, an important economic partner. In this vein, of course, Iran's accession is a very important stage in the expansion and strengthening of the SCO, its military and economic potential."