Afghanistan Still Not Invited to Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek
As the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek draws closer, no formal invitation has yet been announced for Afghanistan to attend the meeting, a development that could underscore Kabul’s continued exclusion from one of the region’s most important forums for dialogue.
The summit is scheduled to be held on September 1 in the Kyrgyz capital, where leaders of the 10 member states are expected to discuss security, economic and regional cooperation issues. According to observers, these topics are directly linked to Afghanistan’s situation, and developments in the country affect regional security and relations.
Observers say that, given Afghanistan’s geographical position, Kabul’s participation in the organisation’s meetings could create greater opportunities for engagement in the security and economic sectors. In their view, Afghanistan’s absence from such meetings also means the country’s role in regional discussions related to its own future remains limited.
The Taliban administration had previously stressed that Afghanistan’s views should be taken into account in decisions and plans related to the future of the region. However, so far there has been no indication of a formal invitation to attend the upcoming summit.
Afghanistan had been a SCO observer since 2012, but after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, that status was suspended. Russian officials had previously said that permanent members of the organisation held a positive view of restoring Afghanistan’s observer status.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a regional body focused on security, economic and political cooperation, and includes major countries in the region. Bishkek, the venue for this year’s summit, is the capital of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia.
