Free Republic

The decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to refer Iran's nuclear programme to the UN Security Council has thrown into sharp focus relations between Iran and Russia. Moscow may soon have to choose whether to back Iran or align itself with the US and the European Union (EU) in reining in Iran's nuclear intentions. Russia appears ready to co-operate with both the USA and Iran in order to boost its trade relations with the two countries. Although Russia is also a leading oil exporter and therefore unlikely to be intimidated by Iranian threats to reduce oil sales, the...

LONDON -- When I was in Moscow a few months ago I got into an argument with a retired high-level NATO official. I was arguing that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), despite its humble origins, had become an important multilateral institution of global geopolitical significance. My case was based on the way in which the organization's 2005 summit meeting in Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, called on the United States to remove its troops from Central Asia, with observer countries India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia raising no objections. I also drew attention to the joint Russia and China military...

Iran is eager to join SCO... ...To fight against 3 evilsDefense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states and representatives of the SCO observer states met in regular session in Beijing yesterday. The SCO tends to become a military bloc, judging by the resolutions it adopted. The participants scheduled joint military exercises on Russian territory for summer 2007. Iran too intends to take part in the exercises, according to Kommersant’s information. This observer state counts on becoming a rightful SCO member state soon. The 3 evils Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov took the limelight...