On October 11, the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group convened in Moscow at the level of deputy foreign ministers.

The group was established in 2005 in order to draft recommendations and proposals on SCO-Afghanistan cooperation in areas of mutual concern. It was decided at the SCO summit held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in July 2017 that the group’s activities need to be adjusted following the expansion of the SCO’s membership.

Participants in the group’s meeting, which was chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, exchanged opinions on issues related to the fight against security challenges and threats in the region and assistance to rebuilding Afghanistan as a peaceful, stable and prosperous state. They unanimously agreed on the need to promote SCO-Afghanistan cooperation within the framework of this consultative body in the interests of attaining the above goals.

The group’s members also supported the initiative advanced by China, which holds the rotating SCO chairmanship, to hold the next meeting of the Contact Group in Beijing in 2018.