By bne Tehran bureau Iran’s acting president Mohammad Mokhber on July 4 proposed the creation of a joint bank and a common free zones network within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), according to ISNA. Mokhber was addressing the 24th summit of the Council of SCO heads of state in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, in place of Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May and will be replaced by a new president after the runoff elections on July 5. Due to its location, Central Asia plays a crucial role in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Beijing has been building its influen…