ASTANA - The SCO is supportive of efforts aimed at initiating a political dialogue between parties to Afghanistan's conflict, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said Friday.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is supportive of efforts aimed at initiating a political dialogue between Afghanistan's authorities and militant groups operating in the country, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said Friday.
"The situation in Afghanistan is a significant factor affecting security and stability [near the SCO borders]. We support the efforts of Afghanistan's National Unity Government as well as of the international community aimed at launch of the intra-Afghan political dialogue and further reforms in order to transform the country to a stable state," Abdrakhmanov said at an SCO ministerial meeting in Astana.
He added that the activities of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group would contribute to the stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan.
The SCO is a political, economic and military alliance that is comprised of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as member states, and India and Pakistan as acceding states. Crisis-torn Afghanistan, along with three other nations, holds observer status in the international organization.

Afghanistan has long been suffering from political, social and security instability due to the activity of the Taliban radical movement, which is outlawed in Russia. The international community, including Moscow, had made a number of efforts to launch a dialogue between Kabul and the Taliban militants. (Sputnik)