Iran's Foreign Minister said yesterday his country has applied to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional security group.

The SCO was created 11 years ago to address religious extremism and border security in Central Asia, but more countries have expressed willingness for its membership.

Iran currently has observer status in the organization, as do Afghanistan, India, Mongolia and Pakistan. Along with China and Russia, the body's permanent members are the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.