Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members issued a declaration, calling the threat of military force and unilateral sanctions against Iran as 'unacceptable.' Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for a 'swift resolution' to the issue of Tehran's nuclear programme, but said his country will not sacrifice its rights for the sake of a solution.

The summit declaration signed by the SCO members-states on Friday was supported Iran by saying that "the threat of military force and unilateral sanctions against the independent state of [Iran] are unacceptable."

Founded in 2001, in Shanghai, SCO is an intergovernmental security organisation made up of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran, Afghanistan, India, Mongolia and Pakistan have observer status. It is primarily focused on its member nations' Central Asian security-related concerns, which the organisation has described the main threats as terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Iran has held several round of talks with P5+1 group - Russia, China, UK, France, the US and Germany - to hammer out a solutions on the country's contentious nuclear energy programme.

Some Western countries and Israel allege that the program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons. They have suggested imposing new sanctions on Iran until the country opens up its nuclear sites for international inspection.

Meanwhile in Bishkek, at the SCO summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin backed Iran's nuclear energy programme. In his address, Putin said, "Iran, the same as any other state, has the right to peaceful use of atomic energy, including enrichment operations."

Terming Iran as a "good neighbour" in his meeting with Mr Rouhani on the sidelines of SCO, Mr Putin hoped of further cooperation between the two countries.

"Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, we want the swiftest solution to it within international norms," said Mr Rouhani

The U.S. and its allies and Israel have been particularly hostile towards Iran's nuclear energy initiatives. They allege that Iran is building nuclear weapons clandestinely.

As reported earlier, Iran is being expected to take a more moderate approach in its confrontation with the West on the nuclear question. Recently, Iran indicated that the new Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, an American-educated diplomat who was the country's ambassador to the United Nations from 2002 to 2007, would lead its delegation in talks.

However, not impressed, Israel's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ehud Azoulay says that the change in Iran's presidency does not mean a "change in their (nuclear) policy."

Mr Azoulay stressed that Tehran continues to seek nuclear arms under its newly-elected president.

Iran has always maintained that it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. The country says its nuclear technology is being used to developing energy and medicine.