I also think china should mediate Saudi Arabia to begin formal ties with Armenia.
Why not let US joins too? Very strategic location.
I always found it funny the US tried to join SCO back in 2005. Imagine if China applied to join Nato today.Last year when the SCO accorded observer status to four countries, it rejected a similar request from the United States.
The reason is not far to guess. The SCO is based on geographical contiguity. Though Iran does not have common land frontiers with any of SCO members, it shares fluvial border with Russia and Kazakhstan in the Caspian Sea. The US does not share borders with any of the SCO members.
The rising importance and coherence of the SCO worries Washington - as well as its closest Asian ally, Japan. "The SCO is becoming a rival block to the US alliance," said a senior Japanese official recently. "It does not share our values. We are watching it very closely."
A correction to that article, Iran shares land border with Pakistan.
I always found it funny the US tried to join SCO back in 2005. Imagine if China applied to join Nato today.
I think the US was playing the USSR/Russian trick of joining NATO, it was asking "Are you against me?", the answer was "Yes we are." It wasn't serious but only propaganda move.
I always found it funny the US tried to join SCO back in 2005. Imagine if China applied to join Nato today.
Russia joining NATO would have been good for US. Just imagine nightmare fuel for China.I think the US was playing the USSR/Russian trick of joining NATO, it was asking "Are you against me?", the answer was "Yes we are." It wasn't serious but only propaganda move.
Not really, NATO is an extension of the US global power. The existence of NATO is justified by having Russia as an enemy. Without Russia as an enemy, EU nations won't enthusiastic support NATO. In addition by allowing Russia to join NATO, the US could not fully control NATO as Russia is simply much bigger and stronger than other NATO members except the US. Russia would try to vie for influence with the US within NATO. That is a big no no for the US. So Russia joining NATO is never possible.Russia joining NATO would have been good for US. Just imagine nightmare fuel for China.
I don't know if you are suggesting that Russia was serious about joining NATO or you are just joking. Nevertheless I believe Russia was just tolling NATO because everyone knows that the foundations of NATO were "keeping the Russians out, the Americans in and Germany down". The "Germany down" thing was soon gone at the establishment of west Germany, the other two would never go because otherwise NATO has no purpose to exist.Russia joining NATO would have been good for US. Just imagine nightmare fuel for China.