Pakistan urges revival of the SCO-Afghanistan contact group

The resumption of the SCO-Afghanistan negotiation format can help strengthen regional security. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the interim government of Pakistan Jalil Abbas Jilani at a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO member states in an expanded format in Bishkek.

“Ensuring stability in Afghanistan is a prerequisite for maintaining peace and stability in our region,” he said. “The SCO-Afghanistan contact group can play an important role in this regard. The revival of the contact group can contribute to dialogue and significantly help the Afghan authorities in overcoming economic problems and building up anti-terrorist capacity.”

On the eve of the transition of the chairmanship of the organization to Pakistan, the Foreign Minister said that the main focus of Islamabad’s efforts will be the development of regional connectivity, building up logistics infrastructure, ensuring rights and business opportunities for youth, as well as strengthening investment ties between the business communities of the SCO states.