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Russian envoy confirms Afghan delegation won’t take part in SCO summit

According to Russian Special Presidential Envoy for SCO Affairs Bakhtiyer Khakimov, all SCO member states had an understanding that there were no reasons for an invitation until there was a legitimate, generally recognized government in Afghanistan

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Afghanistan’s delegation will not participate in the anniversary summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) scheduled to be held in Dushanbe on September 16-17, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for SCO Affairs Bakhtiyer Khakimov said in an interview with TASS.

"The prerogative of inviting guests to SCO events falls within the purview of the state holding chairmanship. At the time, an invitation was sent to the then leader (Afghan President Ashraf Ghani - TASS), in view of the fact that Afghanistan is an observer in the SCO. However, at this stage, all member states have an understanding that there are no reasons for an invitation until there is a legitimate, generally recognized government in Afghanistan," he said.

When asked whether Afghanistan would not be represented at the upcoming summit in any way, Khakimov replied, "Most likely, yes."

The SCO is a regional international association. Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are its full-fledged members. Four states (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia) have observer status, while six more countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey) are dialogue partners. Tajikistan is holding the SCO presidency in 2021.

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