On 19 May 2020, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov sent a message of greetings to President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah on the occasion of the signing of an agreement on the division of powers.
The message emphasises the importance of this event for national unity and expresses hope for an expeditious launch of intra-Afghan talks. It also notes that there is no alternative to settling the internal conflict in Afghanistan through a political dialogue and an inclusive peace process pursued and led by the Afghans themselves.
The message expresses support for the efforts on the part of the Government and people of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to restore peace, develop the economy, and combat terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. It confirms the SCO member states' readiness to promote collaboration with the Afghan partners at the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group and implement the relevant roadmap.
The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has been a SCO observer state since 2012. The SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group was brought into action in 2017. A roadmap for further action by the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group was signed with Afghanistan on 14 July 2019 on the sidelines of the SCO Heads of State Council meeting in Bishkek. On 13 May 2020, the SCO foreign ministers noted during their extraordinary meeting the need for continued joint work to implement this document.