Foreign ministers of SCO states supported transitional administration of Afghanistan

The joint communique adopted in the wake of the meeting of the Council of foreign ministers of SCO says that foreign ministers of states-members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO members comprise Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) at their meeting in Moscow confirmed general interest of SCO in peaceful development of Afghanistan.

Ministers expressed support to actions of the Transitional Authority of Afghanistan to normalize and stabilize the situation in the country and its economic reconstruction on the basis of the Bonn agreement dated 5 December 2001, decisions of the Loya Jirga which took place in June 2002 as well as resolutions of the UN Security Council." At the same time they expressed serious concerns in connection with marked tendencies towards growth of narcotics production, the major source of financial support of internal armed conflict and international terrorism, as well as narcotics danger for SCO member-states. In that connection they evaluated as useful proposals to create anti-narcotics "security belts" along the perimeter of Afghan borders.

Ministers agreed that six SCO member-states would intensify exchange of opinions, also through their permanent UN representatives, on Afghan problems, including matters of provision of assistance to Afghanistan to resolve social and economic problems and provision of humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.