TEHRAN, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani on Friday praised the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for upholding international norms and security through cooperation, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported.

He made the remarks at a meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Member States of the SCO in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, saying the SCO mechanism had played a vital role in fostering a new trend that respects each country's security rights and demands, as well as upholding national and international norms and values, such as justice, independence, equality and peace.

He noted that the SCO's growing influence in shaping international trends derived from its members' diverse socio-economical, cultural, and security capacities.

According to Ashtiani, the platform stands in sharp contrast to major military blocs like NATO in the West. He believed "NATO's hegemonic stance and policies have brought about wars and security crises, including those in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Gaza, over the past few decades."

Turning to counterterrorism, he said fighting terrorism is one of SCO strategic targets, and Iran is ready to share its capabilities, knowledge and experiences in combating terrorism with other SCO members. Enditem

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