SHANGHAI -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived here Wednesday morning to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) slated for Thursday, as guest of the host country.

This is the second time that Karzai attends a SCO summit. He was present at the 2004 SCO summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he met with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

"Afghanistan belongs to the region where also lies the SCO. Afghanistan has no other ways, and can't be outside the region," Karzai said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua before his departure for Shanghai.

Afghanistan and China are "very good neighbors, very good friends," said the Afghan president. Karzai will pay a state visit to China from June 18 to 21.

"Relations with China have immense importance for Afghanistan," he said. "During this visit, I would like to strengthen, deepen and enhance Afghanistan's relationship with China in many fields of strategic importance."

In January 2002, Karzai visited China as chairman of the Afghan Interim Government.