New Delhi, Jul 9 (IANS): The entry of Iran in the SCO marks the beginning of a significant chapter in the history of the grouping, as the inclusion of a Middle Eastern nation in a platform consisting of nations mostly situated in Central Asia and South Asia, is expected to increases its influence in the region.

In geo-political terms, Iran's inclusion in the SCO will allow the grouping to leverage its new found presence in the Middle East to try and deal with situations prevailing in conflict zones like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Also with Iran having huge reserves of oil and gas, its inclusion will boost the energy requirements of SCO nations, while trade ties will also receive a lot of impetus as the country has a wide range of industries related to auto, oil and gas as well as variousother sectors, which will widen the ambit of trade of the member nations and also lead to greater investment in the Eurasian region.

Inclusion of Iran will also widen connectivity and lead to newer trade routes between Central and South Asia. Technology transfer and greater cooperation in various fields will also open up among nations. Most significantly, Iran's inclusion will also help in enhanced security and intelligence cooperation among SCO members, which will bolster stability in the region. It will also add strength to SCO's commitment to combat extremism and terrorism in the region. Diplomatic ties too will get an impetus and SCO will emerge as a strong regional player in the region and underscore the need for establishment of peace and stability.