Saudi Arabia has taken firm steps to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) by becoming a dialogue partner, in a move that was approved by the Kingdom’s cabinet, chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
What does it mean to be a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation organisation?
A dialogue partner enjoys a consultative status in a relationship with an organisation with which is shares common, agreed-upon goals and interests. Dialogue partners generally do not enjoy the same status as full members, and may have limited rights, though their position is certainly not as limited as observers, who by definition can only observe and have no rights to vote or influence dialogue.
The degree to which dialogue partners have the capacity to influence talks and policy can vary, and depends on the terms of the agreement, with several factor potentially affecting this.
The Significance of Saudi Arabia in the SCO
This is yet another significant shift in the foreign relations posture of Saudi Arabia vis-à-vis both the United States and China. The move is another major blow to US interests both globally and in the Middle East as Saudi Arabia takes further solid measures to realign it’s trade and foreign policy relations.
This realignment is significant both in terms of the security architecture of the region, as well as international trade relations. In addition to the financial impact it may have on the dollar, it also strengthens economic ties with China and other member states, and is another step towards the proliferation of currency swaps for trade between nations, instead of reliance on an increasingly volatile and dangerous global reserve currency.
Having Saudi Arabia as a dialogue partner in the bloc is also another positive step towards strengthening the Kingdom’s relations with Iran, which is due to become a full member in April 2023. This is a timely move in terms of further nourishing diplomatic relations, as it closely follows the recent rapprochement between the two countries, which had even more significant impact on global geopolitics.
