Ghani off to Tashkent to attend SCO Summit

KABUL (SW): Heading a high-level delegation, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has departed for Uzbekistan to join heads of state for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) 16^th Annual Summit in Tashkent.

On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, Ghani is also likely to hold exclusive meetings with the heads of member- states on the sidelines. The President is accompanied by the Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, National Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Head of the National Directorate of Security Mohammad Masoum Stanikzai and others.

Talking to Salam Watandar, Shakeb Mustaghni, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the President would elaborate the significance of cooperation amongst the SCO members against terrorism and for economic development in the region. The Afghan President is likely to meet the Presidents of the host country Uzbekistan, and Russia, India, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan and Turkmenistan during which matters related to economy, peace and counter terrorism measures would be discussed.

Ghani is also accompanied by Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, President's Special Envoy & Afghanistan Ambassador Extraordinaire to Pakistan.

Mustaghni added that on the request of Pakistan, the heads of state of Afghanistan and Pakistan would also discuss issues related to security and economy.

The SCO started as the Shanghai five in April 1996 in Shanghai when China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed a Treaty on Deepening Military Trust among them. In June 2001, the group was renamed as the SCO by including Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan are likely to be joined as full members this year. Afghanistan has been attending the SCO Summits since 2012 as an observer and is all set to become a full member of this international body.

ENDS