Kazakh president urges SCO to focus more on Afghanistan

The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, says member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should pay more attention to the situation in Afghanistan so as to ensure international terrorist groups do not take shelter in the country.

This came during an SCO meeting on Wednesday when the Afghanistan situation was discussed.

Currently, Kazakhstan holds the rotating presidency of the SCO and this latest meeting of national security advisers of member countries was held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.

Referring to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, Tokayev said “it is important to continue efforts to end the crisis in this country in order to create conditions for long-term stability.”

SCO member countries’ national security advisers meanwhile issued a statement and called on the Islamic Emirate to fulfill its responsibility in the fight against international terrorist groups.

According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Nikolai Patrushev, the Russian National Security Adviser, said that the leaders of the delegations of the SCO member countries asked the rulers in Afghanistan to clamp down on individuals who, according to them, are based in Afghanistan and pose a threat in the fight against terrorism, especially international terrorist organizations.

The Islamic Emirate has not yet responded to the report, but has repeatedly said it will not allow any group to use Afghanistan’s soil against other countries.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was created with the aim of strengthening security and economy in the region, currently has nine members.

Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and Iran, while Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia have observer roles.