Tajikistan's opposition to the Taliban's participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) activities emerged as a point of contention among member states, with most participants in the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO in favour of resuming the work of the SCO-Afghanistan group. Zamir Kabulov, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second Asia Department told this to RIA Novosti on June 11. The issue was discussed at the SCO Foreign Ministers' Council held in Kazakhstan's Astana on May 20-21.
“Russia and the majority of participants favoured resuming this contact group's work. Our Tajik partners still have certain reservations, but we hope they will reconsider their stance soon,” Zamir Kabulov, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second Asia Department stated.
Taliban's claim for participation
A year ago, the Taliban asserted their representatives had a legitimate right to participate in SCO summits. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes such meetings to improve coordination for regional security and cooperation and considers Afghanistan's participation (as an observer) in these meetings its legitimate right," the Taliban stated.
The Taliban argued that the absence of Afghan representatives at SCO meetings hinders comprehensive coordination in addressing security challenges, combating drug trafficking, providing humanitarian aid, and implementing infrastructure projects.
Before the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan in 2021, the country participated fully in SCO activities as an observer, including attendance at SCO summits by former Afghan leaders.
Efforts to resume SCO-Afghanistan group activities
Efforts to reactivate the SCO-Afghanistan group and facilitate Afghan participation are ongoing, driven by steps taken by some SCO members. For example, China reactivated its embassy in Kabul, sent high-level delegations, and received Taliban representatives in Beijing. In late May, it was reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Justice informed President Vladimir Putin about the possibility of removing the Taliban from the list of banned organizations.
President Putin acknowledged the need to build relations with the Taliban, recognizing them as the current power in Afghanistan. On June 3, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that Kazakhstan had removed the Taliban from the list of terrorist organizations to facilitate economic cooperation with Afghanistan's Taliban-controlled government.
In contrast, Tajikistan continues to refuse recognition and cooperation with the Taliban regime. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon stated that this stance will remain until an inclusive government representing all ethnic groups, especially the Tajiks of Afghanistan, is established. Tajiks are estimated to make up 46% of Afghanistan's population.
As a founding member of the SCO, Tajikistan can prevent the SCO-Afghanistan group from resuming its work.
About the SCO-Afghanistan Group
The SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group was established to address the negative developments in Afghanistan and to initiate a consultative dialogue with Kabul. The relevant protocol was signed on November 4, 2005 in Beijing. The group's mandate was to develop proposals and recommendations for cooperation on issues of mutual interest through consultative meetings at the SCO Secretariat or the Afghan Embassy in Beijing. The group comprised Permanent Representatives of SCO member states, officials of the Secretariat, and senior diplomats of the embassy. The group's activities could only be terminated by mutual agreement.
On May 15, 2006, the SCO Ministerial Council approved the Rules of Procedure for the group's work, stipulating that SCO representatives would speak from agreed positions, and if any member state objected to a position, it would not be submitted to the group's meetings.
In 2011, Afghanistan applied for observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) without going through the dialogue partnership stage. A decision in favor of Afghanistan's observer status was made at the Council of Heads of State on June 7, 2012, in Beijing. Following this decision, the Secretariat provided an opinion on the legal status of the Contact Group, stating that the Group's activities could continue despite Afghanistan's new status.
This is supported by the SCO Observer Engagement Procedure of May 15, 2006, which allows for the establishment of Joint Committees or Liaison Groups with observers.
The first meeting between the foreign ministers of SCO member States and Afghanistan under the "SCO-Afghanistan" framework took place on July 14, 2021, in Dushanbe. However, in August of the same year, the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan.
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