DUSHANBE, June 24, 2016, Asia-Plus – The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member nations have failed to agree on Iran’s accession.

According to Iran’s Press TV , he SCO refused to initiate Iran‘s accession on June 23, despite a request from Russia which backs Tehran’s bid.  Iran currently holds observer status at the SCO.

Iran has long knocked at SCO’s door and Russia has argued that with Western sanctions against Tehran lifted, it could finally become a member of the bloc. 

Pars Today (Iran) reports Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif arrived in Tashkent early on Friday to represent the Islamic Republic of Iran and deliver a statement at the Council of Heads of State.

“The Russian position is clear in its support of initiating the SCO admission process [for Iran] without delays, if possible,” Bakhtiyor Hakimov, a special SCO envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters as leaders of the bloc‘s member countries met in Uzbekistan.

“We failed to reach an agreement with our colleagues this time, but the work continues.”

Hakimov said there were no objections to the idea “in principle”, but there were “technical nuances” related to the timing.  He did not name the objecting parties.

Meanwhile, The Wire reports that a Chinese diplomat who also spoke to reporters in Tashkent on June 23, declined to comment on Iran‘s bid.  But Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who visited Uzbekistan last month for a lower-level SCO meeting, said Beijing wanted to focus on the ongoing accession of India and Pakistan before moving on.

The Wire notes that refusal to initiate Iran‘s accession indicates possible divisions between Beijing and Moscow.

The bloc has served a platform for Moscow and Beijing to project influence in the region. But unlike Russia, China may be reluctant to give it a strong anti-Western flavor, The Wire said.