Post by shortcircuit on Aug 19, 2007 21:47:39 GMT -4
SCO leaders warn against monopolistic world order
Published on Thursday, August 16, 2007.
Source: Monsters and Critics
Bishkek - Leaders of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Thursday agreed unified measures against terrorism, but also issued a warning against a monopolistic world order in what was seen by analysts as a message for Washington.
In a final declaration at their summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan warned that unilateral actions were not adequate to solving existing problems.
'An effective global security architecture can only be achieved under the leadership of the United Nations and by closer adherence to the UN charter,' read the final statement, which specifically mentioned the United States.
According to Interfax, the group said they had agreed to create a common structure in order to be able to respond to threats to peace, stability and security. Details of what this structure would be were not immediately divulged.
The declaration warning against a monopolistic world order was taken by analysts as meant for Washington and the Bush administration's often unilateralist, go-it-alone approach to international issues.
At the summit earlier Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he saw agreement on security policies and the fight against terrorism as the most important goal of the SCO meeting.
The main task of the summit should be 'the elimination of terrorism, separatism and extremism,' Putin told journalists in Bishkek before the meeting.
The Kremlin chief also called for an international development conference for Afghanistan, saying the SCO must form an 'anti-drugs belt' around the country in order to tackle drug smuggling.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who was attending the summit in an observer capacity, welcomed the idea. 'Terrorism and the drugs trade remain the biggest problems which threaten the entire region,' he said.
The SCO was founded in 2001 as a security-led forum but has since expanded into other areas of cooperation.
Chinese President Hu Jintao said the summit would also focus on economic cooperation between the six countries. The primary goal was to strengthen the economic capacities of SCO members, said Hu. The six leaders agreed on a joint strategy to cooperate in the energy sector. Russia and China are both interested in exploiting central Asian oil and gas reserves.
Hu met on the fringes of the summit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who also attended the CSO parley as an observer.
The Chinese president called on Tehran to show flexibility in order to resolve peacefully the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, saying he understood Iran's concerns in the controversy.
Ahmedinejad promised Hu that his country would continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's watchdog on nuclear affairs.
Earlier Ahmadinejad had criticised Washington's plans for a Europe-based missile defence sysetme as a threat to a large part of Asia.
He said that planned system, generally believed to be aimed at destroying missiles fired from Iran, threatens not just one country but an entire continent.
'Unfortunately some countries have become accustomed to speak from a position of force and threat,' Ahmadinejad said without naming the US directly.
The Iranian leader also said that the US invasion of Iraq had brought 'violent difficulties and great misfortune' to the people of the region.
Published on Thursday, August 16, 2007.
Source: Monsters and Critics
Bishkek - Leaders of the six-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Thursday agreed unified measures against terrorism, but also issued a warning against a monopolistic world order in what was seen by analysts as a message for Washington.
In a final declaration at their summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan warned that unilateral actions were not adequate to solving existing problems.
'An effective global security architecture can only be achieved under the leadership of the United Nations and by closer adherence to the UN charter,' read the final statement, which specifically mentioned the United States.
According to Interfax, the group said they had agreed to create a common structure in order to be able to respond to threats to peace, stability and security. Details of what this structure would be were not immediately divulged.
The declaration warning against a monopolistic world order was taken by analysts as meant for Washington and the Bush administration's often unilateralist, go-it-alone approach to international issues.
At the summit earlier Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he saw agreement on security policies and the fight against terrorism as the most important goal of the SCO meeting.
The main task of the summit should be 'the elimination of terrorism, separatism and extremism,' Putin told journalists in Bishkek before the meeting.
The Kremlin chief also called for an international development conference for Afghanistan, saying the SCO must form an 'anti-drugs belt' around the country in order to tackle drug smuggling.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who was attending the summit in an observer capacity, welcomed the idea. 'Terrorism and the drugs trade remain the biggest problems which threaten the entire region,' he said.
The SCO was founded in 2001 as a security-led forum but has since expanded into other areas of cooperation.
Chinese President Hu Jintao said the summit would also focus on economic cooperation between the six countries. The primary goal was to strengthen the economic capacities of SCO members, said Hu. The six leaders agreed on a joint strategy to cooperate in the energy sector. Russia and China are both interested in exploiting central Asian oil and gas reserves.
Hu met on the fringes of the summit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who also attended the CSO parley as an observer.
The Chinese president called on Tehran to show flexibility in order to resolve peacefully the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme, saying he understood Iran's concerns in the controversy.
Ahmedinejad promised Hu that his country would continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's watchdog on nuclear affairs.
Earlier Ahmadinejad had criticised Washington's plans for a Europe-based missile defence sysetme as a threat to a large part of Asia.
He said that planned system, generally believed to be aimed at destroying missiles fired from Iran, threatens not just one country but an entire continent.
'Unfortunately some countries have become accustomed to speak from a position of force and threat,' Ahmadinejad said without naming the US directly.
The Iranian leader also said that the US invasion of Iraq had brought 'violent difficulties and great misfortune' to the people of the region.
