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China, Russia, Central Asian leaders tout new strength
2007-08-17
The leaders of China, Russia and four Central Asian states took a swipe at US foreign policy Thursday during a summit touting their regional organisation's growing military and political strength. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) concluded the summit just outside the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek with a thinly veiled attack on what critics see as Washington's unilateralism in world affairs. "Modern challenges and security threats can only be effectively countered through united efforts of the international community," said a declaration by Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Russia also expressed support for an outspoken attack by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the summit against US plans to build an anti-missile shield in central Europe. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters the United States was using "invented, projected threats" from Iran as an excuse to build the shield and that he could understand Ahmadinejad's concerns. The Iranian president, attending the SCO as an observer, had warned summit leaders earlier that the missile shield would threaten the security of "most of the continent, Asia." The summit took place at a leafy complex under the backdrop of the snowy Tien Shan mountains forming the Kyrgyz-Chinese border. Anti-terrorism, anti-narcotics, the environment and economic development topped the agenda at the one-day talks. Putin praised the SCO, which was founded six years ago, as a budding force, saying: "Year after year the SCO becomes a more significant factor in strengthening security and stability in the Central Asian region." All six leaders were due to underline that message Friday by attending the climax of unprecedented SCO military manoeuvres underway in Russia's Ural Mountains area. Many analysts see the SCO as an anti-Western club aiming to stem inroads by the United States and its allies, as well as the NATO military alliance, in an oil- and gas-rich region that China and Russia consider their backyard. The SCO, founded six years ago, is gaining clout as US influence wanes in parts of Central Asia and NATO forces struggle to suppress Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. In 2005 the United States was forced to close a military base in Uzbekistan and now Kyrgyzstan is under pressure to end the US lease of an air base outside Bishkek. Russia says it wants to expand its own air base near the capital. Friday's exercises highlight that military capability since for the first time in SCO history servicemen from all member states will be involved. Dubbed "anti-terrorism exercises," the manoeuvres involve some 6,500 troops and heavy weapons in taking control of a built-up area. Critics, who see the SCO as a bastion against Western pressure for democratic development in the region, have described the scenario as training for repression of ethnic or civil unrest. Putin praised the developing military capability and proposed "raising the SCO's capability in the security sphere" with regular military training exercises. He also suggested the SCO organise a conference on development aid for Afghanistan, confirming a steady warming of Afghan-Russian ties almost two decades after Soviet troops ended their bloody occupation of the country. Later Thursday Putin met Afghan President Hamid Karzai, also attending the summit as a guest, and pledged his support. Russia earlier this month cancelled about 10 billion dollars of Soviet-era debt owed by Afghanistan. Others applying for SCO membership in addition to Iran are India and Pakistan, who sent lower-level representatives to Bishkek, and Mongolia, whose president also met Putin on Thursday. The leader of the gas-rich, reclusive state of Turkmenistan also attended as a guest. After his stop in Russia for the military exercises, Hu will complete his tour with a trip to oil-rich Kazakhstan.
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