Regional cooperation needed for peace: CEO

KABUL and improve regional connectivity.

Addressing the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Governments in Tashkent, he called regional cooperation was a key element of Afghanistan’s foreign, security and economic policies.

“We are making efforts for strengthening national consensus on peace. We hope all regional and international stakeholders who support the peace (process will work together in this respect,” the CEO said.

Through cooperation and thoughtful integration, new opportunities for development and growth across the region could be identified and seized, he added.

The CEO hoped structural impediments could also be overcome and common challenges met through regional cooperation.

Abdullah appreciated cooperation from the United States, Russia, the European Union, Uzbekistan, China and other countries on Afghanistan’s peace process.

He said the Afghans actively took part in the presidential election despite threats from militants. The vote was a giant step towards achieving peace in Afghanistan, he added.

Successful regional cooperation experiences were necessary for advancing social and economic development objectives and for generating wealth, assuring stability and long-term peace, he continued.

“It is in this context that we consider the SCO as a unique regional platform for converging ideas, policies and projects on regional issues, including trade, infrastructure development, counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism,” the CEO remarked.

According to Abdullah, Afghanistan remains in the frontline of the threat from transnational terrorism.

He praised the Afghan forces for their fight against terrorist groups with regional and global reach and threatened international peace and shared security goals of countries in the region.

Abdullah reiterated the urgent need to develop a more efficient joint counter-terrorism strategy to deal with the evolving terrorist threats.

“We want the SCO to undertake necessary measures for developing a regional counter-terrorism strategy in order to address the evolving menace of terrorism in our region through collective efforts,” the CEO said.

The prosperity of the SCO region was closely associated with peace and stability in Afghanistan, Abdullah explained.

“It, therefore, is incumbent upon us to work closely to address our common challenges in a collective and constructive manner,” he concluded

sa/mud

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