Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, Mohsen Talaei, told IRNA in an interview published Friday that Iran’s permanent membership to the SCO would be advantageous to all members.

Iran’s former ambassador to Japan advised that SCO members not to consider political issues in the process.

Talaei said that the US is employing strategies to prevent Iran’s influence in the region including its membership in SCO, as it perceives the Islamic Republic to be a danger to its interests.

Iran is now an observer in the six-nation SCO comprised of Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and China.

Talaei is currently in China to participate in the 2008 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference held between April 11 and 13 in the scenic seaside town of Boao in Hainan province.