Reconstructing regional stability

Editor's note: With the withdrawal of NATO combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, what kind of role can the Shanghai Cooperation Organization play to help maintain stability and promote development in the country? Chinese and foreign scholars shared their views on the topic at a forum hosted by the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations on May 30 and 31 in Beijing. Here are some excerpts:

From the moment it was founded, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has been supportive of its members' efforts to implement economic reconstruction projects in Afghanistan.

At the international conference on Afghanistan held in Bonn late last year, heads of delegations from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states confirmed their willingness to contribute to the revival of Afghanistan, and pointed out the significance of strengthening the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.