Dialogue Based on Preserving Syria’s Sovereignty, Unity Only Way to Solve Crisis in the Country: SCO Leaders

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan- Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) have stressed that cooperation based on preserving Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the only way to solve the crisis in the country.

In the final communiqué issued on Friday concluding the SCO summit, held in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, the leaders reiterated their unified stance that the “dialogue based on preserving Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is the only way for settlement in Syria.”

According to the communiqué, cooperation within the framework of Astana process on Syria has created necessary circumstances to implement the Security Council Resolution No. 2254 which encourages an inclusive political process led by the Syrians themselves to find solutions that achieve their interests.

 The SCO member countries affirmed in their summit’s communiqué continuous international efforts to help Syria go ahead with reconstruction after the crisis ends, according to the Syrian News Agency SANA.

They asserted their rejection of interference in the internal affairs of countries under the pretext of fighting terrorism or extremism and said that they are against exploiting terrorist and radial groups to implement private agendas, pointing out that the SCO member countries reiterate that terrorist and extremist activities in the world are not justified and that implementing comprehensive procedures to enhance combating terrorism and its ideology as well as eliminating its root causes are an urgent need.

 In a different context, leaders of the SCO stressed that the unilateral increase in the Missile Defense System (MDS) by some countries threatens international security and destabilized the world  and it is an unacceptable bid by these countries to guarantee their security on the expense of the security of other countries.

The SCO member countries will continue expanding cooperation in the domain of defense and security.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian security alliance that includes China, India and Russia in addition to Pakistan Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

US poses ‘serious threat’ to world: Rouhani

During the SCO summit, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said  the Trump administration has been a serious threat to the stability of the Middle East and the world, urging the international community to stand up to US unilateralism.

“For the past two years, the US government has used its economic, financial and military power through an aggressive approach to disrupt all international structures and regulations,” Rouhani said Friday, according to press TV.

This has turned the US administration “into a serious threat for the stability of the region and the world”, he noted.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that today, the international community has been challenged more than ever by the issue of unilateralism, and the problems and complexities of today’s world, especially terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking, have made multilateralism a necessity,” Rouhani added.

Rouhani also warned that “terrorism, in its different forms, extremism, unilateralism and interference of extra-regional countries in the affairs of other regions and interference in the internal affairs of other countries have put the international community in a grave situation.”

The situation, he noted, can pose a threat to the stability, security and interests of all countries around the world.

“Today, we all have to be united from the East to the West against the danger of extremism; because extremism threatens development, peace and security of the world,” Rouhani said.

“It does not matter whether we are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist or following any other religion; what matters is to be united against extremism of any color, race or religion.”

Putin: Fight against terrorism, extremism one of the SCO’s top priorities

On his part, President Vladimir Putin of Russia said that fighting terrorism is one of the most important priorities and that Russia will continue supporting Syria to completely eradicate terrorism from Idleb and other Syrian Areas.

 He urged the international community to back Syria’s reconstruction efforts and to increase humanitarian assistance to the country away from politicization.

Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) need to do everything possible to prevent terrorists from getting hold of chemical and biological weapons, Putin stressed, according to TASS.

“We believe that it is important… to stop terrorists from using drug trafficking revenues and make everything possible to prevent them from putting their hands on chemical and biological weapons or other kinds of weapons of mass destruction,” the Russian leader pointed out.

According to Putin, the fight against terrorism and extremism remains one of the SCO’s top priorities. He pointed out that Moscow stood for close cooperation aimed at thwarting terrorist propaganda and extremist ideas on the Internet and the use of information and communications technologies for criminal purposes. Putin also said that in order to boost joint efforts in that area, the leaders of SCO countries planned to endorse a concept of cooperation in the field of digitization and information technology at the Bishkek summit.

Hamda Mustafa