Statement By His Excellency Hamid Karzai President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan 14th Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Dushanbe, Tajikistan 12 September 2014 Excellency, President Emomali Rahmon, Distinguished Heads of States and Governments, Mr. Secretary- General, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my great pleasure to once again join this important Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. May I express our gratitude to President Emomali Rahmon for hosting this meeting and for the very warm welcome and hospitality. I also wish to thank H. E. Dmitry Mezentsev, the Secretary-General for his tireless efforts and invaluable services. Excellencies, Our region is faced with a number of serious challenges of which terrorism is by far the greatest. The menace of terrorism and extremism is on the rise and threatens regional security and stability. We must own up to the challenges confronting our region. Achieving lasting security for our nations will remain a distant reality unless we tackle this threat through joint and concerted regional efforts. Afghanistan is ready to fully cooperate with the SCO and its regional anti-terrorism structures to further strengthen our capabilities and to enhance our joint efforts. While Afghanistan, over the past decade, has been the battlefront for global anti-terrorism campaign, the roots and sanctuaries of terrorism lie beyond our borders. I hope we all realize that the use of militancy and extremism as an instrument of policy will never serve the long-term interests and stability of anyone. Our experience of the past ten years shows that an effective campaign against terrorism and radicalism can only be successful through the concerted efforts of all of us in this region. Therefore, I propose that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) join hands to launch an effective campaign against the menace of terrorism and the growing radicalism. Ladies and Gentlemen, Afghanistan is making progress in its journey towards the transformation decade. Since 2001, we have crossed a steep curve of development and rehabilitation efforts. We wish to see more trade, investment and economic cooperation within the SCO region. Afghanistan needs to be fully integrated into the regional economy, as this will create an enabling environment for positive economic interdependence between the countries of the region and increase stakes for peace and stability. We will continue to concentrate on restoring Afghanistan’s historic role as a land-bridge, energy hub, and trade route connecting our immediate neighbors and regional partners. We firmly believe that regional connectivity and economic integration are among the fundamental drivers of our long-term regional security and shared prosperity. To this end, we have prioritized regional cooperation and have led the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, which continues to be an important platform for regional dialogue, confidence-building and cooperation. I wish to thank the government of China for their commitment to host the fourth ministerial conference of this process in Tianjin, China. Excellencies, Peace and security is the greatest desire of the Afghan people and remains the cornerstone of our domestic and external policies. The government of Afghanistan will make every possible effort to pave the way for sustainable peace in the country. But the success of this process depends on the support of our neighbors and allies, particularly our brotherly neighbor, Pakistan. It goes without saying that an effective peace process would not only be in the best interests of Afghanistan’s security, but that of our collective region. We urge our regional friends and international partners to actively support our efforts towards a practical and effective peace and reconciliation process. Excellencies, By taking part in the presidential elections this year, the Afghan people have demonstrated their strong desire for democracy and progress. We hope to have the announcement of the election results very soon and look forward to the inauguration of the new president and his government. When I represented Afghanistan at the SCO over a decade ago, we had just started our journey of revival while enormous challenges loomed on the horizon. But today Afghanistan is a different country. We are well on our path to self-reliance. The goodwill and friendly relations that we have achieved with our region and beyond will be an asset that the next government of Afghanistan will build upon. I would like to take this opportunity also, ladies and gentlemen, to thank all the leaders and friends at this summit who have been warm and hospitable to Afghanistan’s presence at the SCO in the last decade. We share historic and civilizational bonds with all the great countries you represent and our common future of security and prosperity depends upon living in peace and harmony with each other. Afghanistan’s commitment to the advancement of peace and prosperity in our common SCO region will remain unwavering and here I take the opportunity to congratulate President Vladimir Putin for Russia’s chairmanship of SCO next year and I am sure it will be fruitful and highly productive for all of us around this conference. Thank you very much. Thank you for your attention.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 12:31:05 +0000
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