Afghanistan, June 11 -- Russia has called for the resumption of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)-Afghanistan Contact Group, saying the mechanism remains important for coordinating regional efforts on Afghanistan.
Bakhtiyor Khakimov, Russia's special representative to the SCO, said Moscow believes the group should resume its work after years of inactivity. According to Russian state media, he noted that discussions on reviving the mechanism have gained momentum among SCO members.
Khakimov said progress has been complicated by the fact that the Contact Group is jointly chaired by representatives of the SCO's rotating presidency and Afghanistan, while the Taliban administration has not been formally recognized by all SCO member st...