Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Russia on Friday, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah called on the member states of the organization to user their leverage in brining militant groups in Afghanistan to the Afghan negotiations table.

“We Call upon SCO member states to use their leverage and contacts with armed Afghan militant groups to urge they enter into intra-Afghan talks,” Abdullah said.

He called for full membership of Afghanistan in the organization.

“In order to further enhance cooperation and achieve progress between the SCO and Afghanistan, we propose the following: SCO grant Afghanistan permanent co-chairmanship for future Contact Group to help address the challenges that confront Afghanistan and the region; we renew our interest in acquiring full SCO membership, and ask that it be added as an agenda item in future meetings; we are seeking enhanced cooperation on anti-terrorism between SCO member states and Afghanistan,” he added.

He said Afghan government is seeking enhanced cooperation on anti-terrorism between SCO member states and Afghanistan.

Abdullah said Afghanistan is committed to working with SCO member countries to develop important major projects.

“We also look forward to working with member states on SCO’s development strategy and important initiatives such as the China-led Silk Road Economic Belt and other similar integration platforms,” he stated. “I would like to mention Heart of Asia Istanbul Process, RECCA, and projects such as CASA 1000, TAPI and Chahbahar among important initiatives. We appreciate each stakeholder country’s support in all of the above.”

He reaffirmed Afghanistan’s political will and commitment to the SCO objectives in enhancing regional connectivity and contributing towards security, stability, economic growth and prosperity of our entire region.

On the sidelines of the summit, Russia’s Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev met with Abdullah where they discussed the fight against terrorism, expansion of economic and trade relations and improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization 

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization. Its establishment was announced by leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in Shanghai in 2001.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Charter was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003.

These countries, except for Uzbekistan, had been members of the Shanghai Five group, founded on 26 April 1996 in Shanghai. India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members on 9 June 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan.