Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the Taliban’s participation in the next summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is possible only with the consent of all member states.
On Thursday, Russian media reported that according to Peskov, during the preparations for the next SCO summit, the Taliban’s request for taking part in the summit will be assessed.
He stressed that such decisions require the consensus of all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Earlier, the Taliban had asked the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to facilitate the participation of the group in the upcoming SCO meeting which is scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan.
The group has also criticised the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for not inviting their representatives to participate in the SCO heads of state virtual summit.
In a statement, the Taliban’s foreign ministry said that Afghanistan is an observer member of SCO and the absence of the group in the SCO virtual meeting "impedes coordination" with the organisation.
The Taliban's foreign ministry also called the absence of Afghanistan’s representatives during such meetings as an obstacle to comprehensive coordination to prevent instability and drug trafficking, support humanitarian assistance, implementation of infrastructural projects, and facilitate regional economic initiatives.
The 23rd meeting of heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has been held virtually by India. Among others, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the President of China, Xi Jinping, have participated in the SCO meeting.
However, at the SCO summit on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the organisation remains focused on Afghanistan, as the situation in the country continues to be tense.
Meanwhile, Bakhtiyar Hakimov, Russia’s Representative for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) affairs, in a press conference on Wednesday said that the Taliban has not been recognised for objective reasons, and engagements with the group are “informal”.
