PRESS RELEASE
Russia and India are Coordinating Positions on Syria and Afghanistan
Oct. 12, 2017 (EIRNS)—Speaking today from Moscow at the international conference "Russia and India: Strategic Vision of Bilateral Relations and the Changing World Order," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov reported that, "Russia and India are actively and successfully cooperating in various multilateral mechanisms. We are coordinating our positions on complicated issues, such as Afghanistan, and on the problems of the Middle East and North Africa, including the situation in Syria," TASS reported.
Morgulov went on to say that Russia and India are actively cooperating in the construction of "an inclusive and open security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region," adding that
"the highly privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India is chiefly based on the high level of mutual trust, the overlapping key geopolitical interests of our countries, and the similarity in approaches to the solution of high-profile issues."
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) member-states, hosted by Russia, met yesterday in Moscow to debate how to secure Afghanistan. This is the first such meeting since India and Pakistan became full SCO members. According to the Times of Central Asia today, Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai emphasized that terrorism is the "key common security threat," and asked the SCO to join Afghanistan in fighting and defeating it.
Karzai also noted the important role of the SCO in helping Afghanistan achieve its economic potential, as well as its integration with the SCO economies through increased trade, transit and investment, the Times elaborated.
