Foreign Correspondence

[Amaunet]

SCO to give observer status to Pakistan, Iran and India

It looks like the SCO, if China can put some teeth into it, will be the tool by which the nations of the region confront US efforts to control the area.

The Chechen and HT extremists are backed by the US.

-Am



Sunday, June 05, 2005

SCO to decide on Pakistan’s observer status

ASTANA: The ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has drafted documents for signing by the SCO heads of state next month on a decision to give Pakistan, Iran and India observer status in the group. The SCO meeting held in Kazakhstan was attended by foreign ministers of China, Russia, and four ex-Soviet Central Asian nations.

Participants pledged on Saturday to strengthen their security alliance and develop closer cooperation against terrorism following recent violence in Uzbekistan.

“We all want to avert extremists’ attacks on our nations,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters after the meeting.

Lavrov reiterated Russia’s belief that both Chechen terrorists and the Taliban were involved in staging the riots that led to a bloody crackdown by government forces last month in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan.

Government troops opened fire on protesters in Andijan after militants seized a local prison and a government headquarters. ap


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