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Russia’s foreign exchange reserves had to be kept abroad and nothing could have been done to avoid a freeze of the country’s dollar and euro assets, the central bank said in the latest question-and-answer post on its website.

Iran has become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Belarus will sign a memorandum on accession Iran has become the ninth full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), upgrading its previous status as an observer of the Eurasian security and economic development bloc.