Manama > Saudi also joins Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) signaling closer ties with China. The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Cabinet chaired by King Salman at the Jeddah Al Salam Palace did not approve the memorandum of understanding granting Saudi Arabia the status of ‘dialogue partner’ in the SCO. The SCO was formed by the heads of state of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China, with the aim of cooperation in the economic, security and environmental fields. In June 2017, India and Pakistan were included. The accession process to make Saudi a dialogue partner began in 2021. Saudi Arabia’s decision to move closer to the key security bloc comes less than three weeks after China brokered an agreement with Iran to restore diplomatic ties. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s promise last year to act as a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Iran started the reconciliation process. In a phone conversation Tuesday with King Salman’s son and Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, the president praised the easing of tensions in the Middle East. China-promoted dialogue will play an important role in strengthening regional unity and cooperation, Xi said. The bloc consists of eight countries that account for 40 percent of the world’s population and more than 30 percent of GDP. The decision to grant permanent membership to Iran was made at a summit held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in September last year. The process of granting membership to Belarus was also initiated. The summit also accepted Bahrain, Maldives, UAE, Kuwait and Myanmar as interlocutors. Read on deshabhimani.com