TEHRAN (Bazaar) –Nader Entessar, Professor Emeritus of Political Science from university of South Alabama says that the economic potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is more important to Iran than the organization's security dimension at this stage.
“A look at the full membership of the SCO clearly shows that some members of this organization have conflicting security and foreign policy agendas,” Entessar told Bazaar.
Following is the full text of the Bazaar interview with Professor Entessar:
Q: Iran became a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Although this organization was initially established for security reasons, it is currently considered an organization with economic goals. Which dimension does Iran pay attention to?
A: The economic potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is more important to Iran than the organization's security dimension at this stage. A look at the full membership of the SCO clearly shows that some members of this organization have conflicting security and foreign policy agendas. Also, Saudi Arabia's membership is still pending, but if Saudi Arabia becomes a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, that country's security agenda will make it harder to develop a unified and sustainable security agenda.
Q; What are the economic benefits of Iran's membership in this organization? How can this organization help Iran in the field of banking and customs tariffs?
A: The SCO is a relatively new organization and is still trying to redefine itself. That said, Shanghai Cooperation Organization can become a very important channel for Iran to diversify its economic activities and market penetration. However, for this to happen, Iran needs to have a much more practical and proactive economic and trade agenda than it has had in recent years. Experienced personnel who know how international economics works and know their target markets' needs must be placed in charge.
Q: The foreign policy of Ebrahim Raisi's government is known for a clear orientation of “Look to the East”. To what extent will membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization plays a role in the continuation of this policy?
A: It will obviously help Iran to advance its "Look to the East" foreign policy goals. However, specific, concrete, and practical measures must be taken in advancing Iran's foreign policy objectives. The mere fact of membership in the SCO without undertaking proactive and realistic measures will not be sufficient to smooth Iran's path toward its desired Eastward foreign policy orientation.
Q: One of Iran's goals in the policy of “Look to the East” and membership in the SCO is to meet economic needs and of course, its interpretation of the polarization of the international system in the future, which believes that the future poles of the international system are such as China, and Asia play an important role in that. How much does this approach of Iran help the economy of this country under the conditions of sanctions?
A: As the United States continues to leverage its control of international financial institutions and use economic sanctions to punish or isolate its adversaries, Iran will find it not only desirable but practical to solidify its "Look to the East" foreign policy orientation. As the West's suffocating grip on the international political system loosens, and as a genuinely multipolar and competitive global system develops, Iran must take steps to place itself in the nexus of this evolving global system in which Asia will be a rising pole while some traditional poles in the West, especially in Europe, will continue to decline.
Q: Regarding the membership of countries such as China, India, and Russia, what weight will the SCO have in the future order of the international system?
A: As I stated in my answer to the previous question, Asia will likely become a significant and defining player in the international system in the second half of the twenty-first century. The SCO will be well placed to play an important role in the future international system. We must realize that absent a total collapse of a major pole, transformations in international political order occur gradually. As a result, the evolution of the current multipolar world order will take place in phases.
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