SCO Welcomes Afghans' Freeing From Taliban Regime

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 07, 2002

SCO Welcomes Afghans' Freeing From Taliban Regime

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members welcome the Afghan people's breaking away from the Taliban regime which colludes with international terrorism.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) members welcome the Afghan people's breaking away from the Taliban regime which colludes with international terrorism.

Foreign ministers from the six SCO members including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, who met here said in a joint statement issued Monday that the SCO members support the efforts of Afghanistan, countries of the region and the international community to ensure Afghanistan does not become the source of the spread of terrorism, splittism, extremism and drug trafficking.

The joint statement says the SCO members hope that Afghanistan will become a peaceful and neutral country, respect human rights and freedom, maintain good relations with neighboring countries and be committed to its international obligations.

The SCO members support the Bonn agreement signed on December 5, 2001, and the efforts of the Afghans for the establishment of a multi-national and widely representative regime. They will supportthe interim government in Afghanistan.

The statement says that the establishment of the interim government is only the first step towards the rebuilding of post-war Afghanistan.

The SCO members call on the international community to cooperate within the framework of the United Nations to prevent new uncertainties arising in Afghanistan which would threaten the political settlement process. They call on all Afghans to give priority to cooperation and abandon struggle among them.

The statement says that it is the inalienable right of the Afghans to decide the future political arrangement, framework and system of Afghanistan. All members of the international community should respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and nationalunity of Afghanistan, and should not interfere in its internal affairs in order to create a sound external environment for Afghanistan's normal development.

Any attempt to force certain administration method or impose certain influence on Afghanistan will bring about a new crisis forAfghanistan and its neighbors, it says.

The ministers stress that the international security assistanceforce must cooperate with the Afghan interim government, and act with the authorization of the United Nations and with the consent of the Afghan legitimate regime.

The SCO members support the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghans and will contribute to it, including offering aid and channels of transport to assist other countries and international organizations, the joint statement says.

It says the SCO members support the international community, headed by the United Nations, in its continuing efforts to help rebuild Afghanistan's economy. The SCO members will participate inthe economic reconstruction projects in Afghanistan individually or under the framework of the United Nations.

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