KABUL (Pajhwok): Senators on Tuesday asked Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah to discuss Afghanistan’s full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at the ongoing summit of the group in China.
The 14th Heads of Government Council meeting of the SCO began in the Zhengzhou province of China on Tuesday and would end on Wednesday.
Abdullah, at the head of a high-level delegation, landed in Beijing, the capital of China, on Sunday to attend the SCO meeting, his office said.
The SCO was established jointly by China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in 2011. Pakistan and India have been granted the full membership of the organization while Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia have observer status.
Nisar Haris, a member of the Meshrano Jirga or upper house, said the CEO should take advantage of the opportunity and demand a permanent membership of Afghanistan in the SCO.
He said Russian officials had earlier declared their support for giving Afghanistan full membership status in the organization and the CEO should get maximum benefit from the opportunity to discuss the matter with other members.
Mohammad Alam Ezedyar, the Senate’s deputy chairman who chaired today’s session, said the Afghan delegation should strive hard and persuade other states into awarding Afghanistan the full membership status.
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