TEHRAN -- Iran enjoys good and friendly relations with all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi has said.

As an observer of the SCO, Iran attaches importance to friendly relations and effective cooperation with members of the organization, which has a vast area, enormous population and a huge market, Asefi said at a recent news briefing.

Iran hopes to further develop cooperative relations with SCO members in politics, economy, trade, culture and security, he said.

He said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will go to Shanghai to participate in the 2006 SCO summit meeting, which is slated for Thursday.

The SCO, established in Shanghai in 2001, groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has accepted Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India as observers.