TEHRAN, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) plays a positive role in ensuring the continuity of an international order based on multilateralism and the rule of law, said a senior Iranian diplomat on Saturday.

The SCO is "very impactful and effective in the sense that it can represent the interests and concerns of the Global South," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told Xinhua in an exclusive interview, ahead of an SCO summit taking place from Sunday to Monday in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is in China for the summit as well as events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

On the Iranian president's visit to China, Baghaei said, "We are going to take this opportunity to promote our bilateral ties with China and to hold meetings with other leaders of the participating states."

Baghaei noted that the world is now facing common challenges brought about by "unilateralism and coercive measures that certain Western countries, in particular the United States, have been applying against developing states."

The SCO, he added, can play a very significant role in terms of providing an effective framework for cooperation among Global South countries, guaranteeing the interests of developing countries, and ensuring the continuity of an international order that is based on multilateralism, the rule of law, and "the normative structures coming from the United Nations Charter."

As regards Iran-China ties, Baghaei highlighted the two countries' shared historical bond of culture and civilization, adding that both sides have continued to advance and deepen their relations, with mutual understanding and trust steadily growing.

"It is a constantly flourishing relationship. We value our relationship with China," he stressed.

The two countries have signed numerous agreements in areas including trade, economy, energy, agriculture and tourism, he noted, expressing optimism about the future of Iran-China cooperation.

"The basis of our bilateral relations is very solid, and the two nations are resolved to continue their excellent bilateral relations," he added.

The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan were admitted as full members in 2017, and Iran in 2023. Belarus became the latest full member in 2024.