MOSCOW: Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has said that Moscow will conditionally support Afghanistan’s candidacy to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Russian media reported. He made these remarks during an interview in Moscow.
Kabulov stated that Afghanistan must bring its economy into some relative order so that the rest of the SCO members also consider its entry convenient. Kabulov said Russia does not rule out cooperation between Kabul and the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization. The envoy hoped that both Russian and Afghan businesses will find common areas that will lead to further increase in the volume of trade between the two nations.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the senior spokesman for Afghan Interim government lauded Russia’s move, calling it a positive step towards the normalization of relations. He emphasized that expanding economic and diplomatic relations is the only solution to the issues between Afghanistan and regional countries, and that it will undeniably benefit both sides.
Founded in 1996 by China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, the SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization. Its current members include Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, India, with Afghanistan holding observer status.
