SCO Secretary-General Lauds Important Role Of Observer States

Moscow, July 20, IRNA – Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary General said here Friday SCO observer states play a major role in that organization. Speaking to the state-run Voice of Russia radio, Dmitry Mezentsev said that influential countries such as Iran, India, Pakistan and Mongolia, as SCO observer states, have done their best in progress of the organizationˈs objectives. He said that he had called on the organization to allow further activities of the observer members. A proper composition of observer members has been formed in the last 12 years, he said. Commenting on Afghanistan, he underlined that considering the plans for withdrawal of the foreign forces from Afghanistan in 2014, today Afghan issue has become the gravest regional concern. He said it is important to make sure that whether Afghan police and security forces can maintain national security after withdrawal of foreign forces. He also called for countering drug trafficking from Afghanistan and strengthening Afghan security forces. He reiterated that the SCO attaches special significance to Afghanistan. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), composed of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, was formed as a confidence-building mechanism to resolve border disputes. It has risen in stature since then, making headlines in 2005 when it called for Washington to set a timeline for withdrawing from military bases in Central Asia. Over the past few years, the organizationˈs activities have expanded to include increased military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and counter-terrorism drills. The SCO has also intensified its focus on Afghanistan, and may play a greater role in international efforts there in the near future. While some experts say the organization has emerged as a powerful anti-US bulwark in Central Asia, others believe frictions between its two largest members, Russia and China, effectively preclude a strong, unified SCO. The SCOˈs observer states include Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran, India and Afghanistan./end