Moscow, Russia: The SCO – Afghanistan Contact Group will meet today October 11 in Moscow to discuss issues related with the security of the region including presence of terrorists groups in Afghanistan.
“The SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group will discuss the fight against terrorism, proposals for peaceful settlement of Afghanistan and the issue of full membership of Afghanistan in SCO,” said Foreign Office of Russia.
According to the minister, Russia supports the settlement of the intra-Afghan conflict within the framework of the national reconciliation process led by the Afghans themselves.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov informed Russia media this week that as part of coordinating regional efforts on Afghanistan, the work of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group is resumed.
Russia hosted international Afghanistan Peace Conference in April 2017 that was attended by all central Asian states, China, Iran, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. United States was also invited by Kremlin to attend the conference. However, Washington decided to stay away from this international peace initiative to bring peace to Afghanistan.
The International Peace Conference recommended an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned solution and suggested Kabul to hold peace talks with fighting factions, particularly with Afghan Taliban.
“The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Contact Group on Afghanistan was suspended in past but this meeting is talking place under the instruction of President Vladimir Putin. It is clear war in Afghanistan is compromising regional security and international terror groups including Daesh —Islamic State are present in Afghan areas bordering Central Asia. Russia is rightfully concern over grave situation in Afghanistan,” commented regional observer and senior analyst Iqrar Haroon from Islamabad.
