Afghanistan set to join ‘SCO plus’ meeting in Bishkek — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): A Russian presidential aide says an “SCO Plus” meeting will be held following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, with Afghanistan and several other countries expected to participate. According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, said today (Tuesday) that the meeting would bring together leaders of SCO member states, observer countries, dialogue partners and guests invited by the host country. He said key regional and international issues would be discussed at the meeting. According to TASS, Afghanistan will participate alongside Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Sri Lanka. The meeting will also be attended by the heads of several international organisations, including the United Nations, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Ushakov said the meeting would be held under the theme, “The United Nations as the Key Element of a Fair World Order: The Contribution of SCO+ Countries to the Formation of a Multipolar World.” However, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not yet commented on Afghanistan’s reported participation in the meeting.