China congratulates Iran on its upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) full membership.
Xi said on Friday that China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation within the SCO framework.
The Chinese president stressed that China supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity.
He added that his country was willing to work with Iran to uphold the principle of non-interference in internal affairs and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.
Xi pointed out that China and Iran enjoy a longstanding friendship and that their relations have stood the test of a changing international landscape.
Earlier, the Iranian foreign minister said Iran has signed a Memorandum of Obligations to become a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a central Asian security body.
The minister said in a statement that by signing the document for full membership of the SCO, Iran has entered a new stage of various economic, commercial, transit and energy cooperation.
The statement came as leaders from China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan headed to the latter’s city of Samarkand for a summit of the eight-member SCO.
SCO a security group formed by Beijing and Moscow as a counterweight to United States influence.(Xinhua/NAN)