DUSHANBE, November 29, 2012, Asia-Plus – Silk Road Newsline reports that representatives of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have told the U.N. General Assembly that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Collective Security treaty Organization (CSTO).
Kyrgyz ambassador to the United Nations Talaibek Kydyrov, speaking on behalf of SCO, and Deputy Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the U.N. Akan Rakhmetullin, speaking on behalf of CSTO, reportedly pledged their respective organizations’ continued support to the international reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan at a plenary meeting of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
“As the SCO member states are all neighbors of Afghanistan, we follow closely the developments on this country and support the development cooperation between Afghanistan and countries of the region on a bilateral basis,” Kydyrov told the plenary meeting on November 27. “The SCO member states are ready to assist with the reconstruction of Afghanistan, including through implementation of infrastructural, energy and transport projects with the view of promoting sustainable economic growth and creation of jobs in Afghanistan.”
According to Kydyrov, “the SCO member states decided to grant Afghanistan observer status in SCO.”
“The SCO member states will continue to strengthen and upgrade regional cooperation within the SCO framework and other existing relevant regional formats and build the SCO region into a region of lasting peace, friendship, prosperity and harmony. The SCO member states support the central role of the United Nations in coordinating international efforts on the issue of Afghanistan and will assist the Afghan people with their national reconstruction,” the Kyrgyz ambassador said.
According to Rakhmetullin, “CSTO member states have carefully followed the situation in Afghanistan that has a border with the organization’s area of responsibility.”
“CSTO member states will help to foster the sustainable and stable development of Afghanistan,” he said.
“Member states support the active involvement of Afghanistan in integration processes in the region and in strengthening mutual trade and economic and humanitarian cooperation as well as in swiftly implementing the infrastructural projects joining the region surrounding Afghanistan which will help to restore peace, stability and socio-economic development to Afghanistan,” Rakhmetullin said.
Founded in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) includes China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Founded in 1992, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
