SCO nations urge domestic solution to Syria violence
Source: Agencies |
June 8, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AHEAD of UN discussions on Syria, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization yesterday rejected outside military intervention to end the violence there and called for a domestic resolution.
A joint statement from the six-nation SCO said "all violent behavior in Syria must stop" and said the group supports a broad domestic dialogue that respects Syria's sovereignty and independence. It said the SCO members oppose military interference, unilateral sanctions and the "forced transfer of power."
Also at the summit, the SCO granted Afghanistan observer status in a move to consolidate ties with the war-torn nation before most foreign combat troops leave by the end of 2014.
Chinese President Hu Jintao announced the plan at the SCO's annual summit which closed in Beijing yesterday.
The SCO also recommitted itself to closer security and economic ties and to combating drug trafficking, extremism and terrorism.
"All the member states should implement the agreement on striking the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism," Hu told other leaders at a morning session.
"We should establish and improve a system of cooperation in security and take coordinated actions to narrow the space of activities of the three forces, get rid of drug deals and other organized cross-border criminal activities."
Afghanistan, whose President Hamid Karzai attended the summit, joins India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as SCO observer states. The group also admitted Turkey as one of its three dialogue partners.
Already, Russia and fellow SCO member nations Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are doing their part to ensure an orderly NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, having agreed to allow the reverse transport of alliance equipment after Pakistan shut down southern supply routes six months ago.
The fourth Central Asian member of the SCO is Tajikistan.
The NATO pullout will also prompt the end of military operations out of Kyrgyzstan's Manas air base.
While the SCO's security plans in Afghanistan remain unclear, economic outreach looks set to lead the way.
In December, China's state-owned National Petroleum Corp signed a deal allowing it to become the first foreign company to exploit Afghanistan's oil and natural gas reserves.
That comes three years after the China Metallurgical Construction Co signed a contract to develop the Aynak copper mine in Logar province. China's US$3.5 billion stake in the mine is so far the largest foreign investment in Afghanistan.
A joint statement from the six-nation SCO said "all violent behavior in Syria must stop" and said the group supports a broad domestic dialogue that respects Syria's sovereignty and independence. It said the SCO members oppose military interference, unilateral sanctions and the "forced transfer of power."
Also at the summit, the SCO granted Afghanistan observer status in a move to consolidate ties with the war-torn nation before most foreign combat troops leave by the end of 2014.
Chinese President Hu Jintao announced the plan at the SCO's annual summit which closed in Beijing yesterday.
The SCO also recommitted itself to closer security and economic ties and to combating drug trafficking, extremism and terrorism.
"All the member states should implement the agreement on striking the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism," Hu told other leaders at a morning session.
"We should establish and improve a system of cooperation in security and take coordinated actions to narrow the space of activities of the three forces, get rid of drug deals and other organized cross-border criminal activities."
Afghanistan, whose President Hamid Karzai attended the summit, joins India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as SCO observer states. The group also admitted Turkey as one of its three dialogue partners.
Already, Russia and fellow SCO member nations Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are doing their part to ensure an orderly NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, having agreed to allow the reverse transport of alliance equipment after Pakistan shut down southern supply routes six months ago.
The fourth Central Asian member of the SCO is Tajikistan.
The NATO pullout will also prompt the end of military operations out of Kyrgyzstan's Manas air base.
While the SCO's security plans in Afghanistan remain unclear, economic outreach looks set to lead the way.
In December, China's state-owned National Petroleum Corp signed a deal allowing it to become the first foreign company to exploit Afghanistan's oil and natural gas reserves.
That comes three years after the China Metallurgical Construction Co signed a contract to develop the Aynak copper mine in Logar province. China's US$3.5 billion stake in the mine is so far the largest foreign investment in Afghanistan.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
