Istanbul Ministerial Process Beijing meeting to highlight security in Afghanistan - Chinese ambassador
MOSCOW/BEIJING. Oct 30 (Interfax) - Beijing sees the Istanbul Ministerial Process as an important platform assisting in the normalization in Afghanistan, said Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui.
"We know that the Istanbul Process is the only existing regional mechanism dealing with cooperation between Afghanistan and countries of this part of the world; it plays an important role in the assistance to the peaceful development of Afghanistan," he told Interfax before the fourth meeting of foreign ministers of Istanbul Process member countries which begins in Beijing on Friday.
The diplomat said the meeting would focus on "ways to deepen regional cooperation and to provide security in Afghanistan and the entire region."
"The fact that Chinese State Council Premier Li Keqiang and new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai will attend and speak at the opening ceremony testifies on the importance of the upcoming event," Li said.
"The meeting will be a practical manifestation of China's real support to the peaceful transitional process in Afghanistan, the development of the country and cooperation between Afghanistan and regional states," the diplomat said.
"Afghanistan has made a certain success of its peaceful development lately but the situation is far from being ideal in such spheres as the fight against terrorism and the socioeconomic development. China will carry on the utmost efforts promoting the soonest possible peace, stability, independence and development in Afghanistan. This will not just meet the crucial interests of people in both countries but will also contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region as a whole," he said.
Li noted that China and Russia, permanent members of the UN Security Council, were working on the stability and normalization of Afghanistan and the whole region.
"China and Russia support the preservation of Afghanistan's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and respect the development path chosen by the people of Afghanistan consistent with the situation in the country, the accomplishment of the peaceful transitional period and the improvement and development of relations between countries of the region," he said.
"Afghanistan is an important partner of China and Russia, permanent members of the UN Security Council. For a long time, China and Russia have been using bilateral and multilateral mechanisms to maintain close contacts with regard to the situation in Afghanistan, cooperating successfully and taking tireless efforts to ensure the peaceful development of Afghanistan. These [efforts] have been acknowledged by Afghanistan and the international community," Li stressed.
The ambassador noted the important role played in the Afghan issue by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). "Security and stability are main conditions of mutually advantageous cooperation and the joint development of regional countries. Afghanistan is a neighbor of SCO member countries and the Afghan situation has a big influence on the organization, stability and development of Afghanistan and high significance for the SCO," the diplomat said.
In his words, the SCO member countries are actively involved in the peaceful development process in Afghanistan and are helping this country with cooperation programs, joint antiterrorism exercises and suppression of the "three evils" (terrorism, separatism and extremism), as well as drug trafficking and transborder crime.
Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov will be representing Russia at the upcoming meeting.
The Istanbul Process was launched at an international ministerial conference on Afghanistan held in Istanbul in 2011. Its key goal is to generate ideas on the involvement of Afghanistan in the economic and political life of the region as an equal and responsible partner.