Sanctions against Iran ‘unacceptable’ – Russia, China, other SCO nations

[ChinaToday]

Sanctions against Iran are ‘unacceptable’, stated the SCO summit participants. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he wants a ‘swift resolution’ to the issue of Tehran's nuclear program, but will not sacrifice its rights for the sake of a solution.

"Regarding the Iranian nuclear issue, we want the swiftest solution to it within international norms," said Rouhani on Friday at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek.

Iran and the P5+1 group - Russia, China, UK, France, the US and Germany - have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Iran’s nuclear energy program. Some Western countries , mainly United States and Israel presume that the program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons and suggest imposing new sanctions on the Islamic Republic in addition to the existing restrictions on the economy, targeting investments in oil, gas and petrochemicals, exports of refined petroleum products, and others.

Particularly, Israel's Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ehud Azoulay said on Thursday that the change in Iran's presidency does not mean a "change in their (nuclear) policy," stressing that Tehran continues to seek nuclear arms under its newly-elected President Rouhani.

However, Iran says its nuclear program is aimed at developing energy and medicine, as the country has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Under the Bishkek declaration signed by the SCO on Friday, the summit member states supported Iran by saying that “the threat of military force and unilateral sanctions against the independent state of [Iran] are unacceptable.”

Putin backed Iran's nuclear energy program in an address to the SCO saying “that Iran, the same as any other state, has the right to peaceful use of atomic energy, including enrichment operations.”

Putin said at the meeting with Rouhani on the sidelines of the summit that Iran was a ‘good neighbor’ adding that Russia hopes for further cooperation with Tehran.

The parties stayed away from discussing the issue of constructing a new building at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor site, said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The construction of Bushehr - the first civilian nuclear plant in the Middle East - was started in 1975 by German companies, however a contract for finishing the plant was signed between Iran and the Russian Ministry for Atomic Energy in 1995. Bushehr nuclear power plant launched in 2011 has no link to nuclear weapons production and cannot be used to develop such technology.

Rouhani invited his Russian counterpart to Tehran, Peskov said on Friday adding that Putin accepted the invitation, the terms of the visit will be agreed through diplomatic channels.

SCO against Western intervention in Syria

The Syrian crisis almost hijacked the SCO summit, as the member states spoke out “against Western intervention in Syria, as well as the loosening of internal and regional stability in the Middle East,” according to the declaration.

The Russian President welcomed Syria's decision to join the global anti-chemical weapons treaty, saying it showed Damascus was serious in its intention to resolve the conflict.

"I believe we should welcome such a decision," Putin said in his address to the summit. "(It) is an important step towards the resolution of the Syrian crisis, this confirms the serious intention of our Syrian partners to follow this path."

"We believe military interference from outside in the country without a UN Security Council sanction is inadmissible," he stressed. "Promoting the initiative to establish international control over chemical weapons in Syria is of great importance".

Iran supported the Russian initiative to put Syria's chemical weapons arsenal under international control.

"The initiative of the Russian Federation with regard to Syria, as well as steps taken by the Syrian government have given us hope that we will be able to avoid a new war in the region" said Rouhani.

The Iranian President also called for the destruction of all chemical weapons.

“Iran, as the biggest victim of chemical weapons, opposes any production, storage and use of such weapons and calls for the destruction of weapons of mass destruction in the region”.

Rouhani expressed hope that the regional governments could decide the fate of their own countries, adding that “the presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan and other countries sets the stage for extremism in the region.” Under the Bishkek declaration, the SCO countries “emphasized that national reconciliation must be Afghan-led in order to facilitate the early realization of peace and stability in the country".

In addition, the member states reaffirmed their position on the US missile defense system, which, according to them, can cause damage to international security.

"The SCO member states are convinced that you cannot provide for your own security at the expense of others," the joint declaration stated.

Among other issues discussed at the summit, the participants raised the question of security urging against the use of information technology aimed at undermining political and economic security. The countries also emphasized the importance of establishing the SCO Development Fund and the SCO Bank. There was also a call to resume six-party-talks concerning North Korea's nuclear program.

Sanctions against Iran ?unacceptable? ? Russia, China, other SCO nations ? RT News

 

[Echo_419]

Can someone please show enough balls & Stand up to US
Please

 

[Jade]

Can someone please show enough balls & Stand up to US
Please

Russia is doing just that. If not for Russia, Syria would have been bombed to stones

 

[ChinaToday]

SCO important to Iran from regional perspective: Analyst

A political analyst has described the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as “very important” to Iran from a regional perspective, Press TV reports.


“It (the SCO) is very important from the regional point of view since Iran is a preeminent Persian Gulf power as well as a highway between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf,” Kaveh Afrasiabi, an author and political scientist, told Press TV on Friday.

He further stressed the significance of the cooperation between the Islamic Republic and the SCO, stating that, “The SCO provides a diplomatic forum for the Iranian leadership to discuss the regional and global issues.”


“And there are a host of other issues that are of interest to Iran including narco-traffic, terrorism, extremism as well as the dual purposes of the SCO itself, which are security cooperation and economic development,” he added.

The comments come as an SCO summit is underway in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Bishkek on Thursday at the head of a delegation to take part in the SCO summit and has already met with his Russian, Chinese, Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Afghan counterparts.

The SCO is an intergovernmental security organization founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Iran, India, Mongolia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have an observer status at the organization.

PressTV - SCO important to Iran from regional perspective: Analyst

President: Afghanistan to solve security problems supported by SCO member countries

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sep. 13 / Trend E. Kosolapova/

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will help Afghanistan overcome terrorism and extremism problems, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said at an enlarged meeting of SCO heads of state in Bishkek on Friday, Kyrtag reported.

"We understand that all the global community is concerned about the state of our country after the withdrawal of the international coalition. We will prevent violence and strengthen national security. Afghanistan will be able to solve this problem together with the SCO countries," the Afghan president said.

Karzai said that Afghanistan has managed to achieve a certain economic development and create its own security forces since 2001.

"We have created an effective system of counter-terrorism and are now fighting against terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban. We are considering the possibility of close cooperation with the SCO countries and intend to follow the path of peace and security. We will make every effort to maintain stability in the country," Karzai said.

http://en.trend.az/regions/world/afghanistan/2189805.html

 

[ChinaToday]

India seeks full member status in SCO

BISHKEK: India today sought full member status of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), saying it was keen to deepen security-related cooperation with the six-nation grouping, particularly its anti-terror mechanism.


Addressing the SCO's Heads of State Summit here, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid reiterated India's stand that it is ready to play a larger role in SCO as a full member, once the organisation reaches consensus on its expansion.

"It is our conviction that an expanded SCO will be a more effective body to address the numerous security and developmental challenges that our region faces," he said.

India is also keen to deepen its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure ( RATS) in particular, Khurshid said.

"We look forward to the signing of the Model Protocol of Intent in the near future as a demonstration of our willingness and commitment," he said.

India believes "only multilateral efforts and integrated actions can help effectively counter these negative forces, including the related evils of drug trafficking and small arms proliferation", he said.

Referring to India's emergence as a vibrant economy and a vast market, its repository of human, scientific and technological knowledge, and its development and security related experience of over six decades, Khurshid said, "We believe that India can make deeper contributions to enrich the SCO process and contribute to its success."

India has been an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated at the ministerial-level at summits. SCO focusses on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian space.

The precursor of the SCO was the "Shanghai Five" constituted by China in 1996 to address border security issues with four of its neighbours.

In its present form, SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

India, Iran and Pakistan were admitted as observers at the 2005 Astana Summit. The Tashkent SCO Summit in June 2010 lifted the moratorium on new membership, paving the way for expansion of the grouping.

Thanking the government and people of the Kyrgyz Republic for their "gracious hospitality and warm welcome", Khurshid said the SCO summit was taking place in "politically and economically turbulent times".

"The world economy is troubled. In times of globalisation, we know that growth can be restored only with collective efforts by creating more jobs, bringing in financial reforms and creating a conducive environment for business," he said.

"But this is more an occasion for us to celebrate the milestones which the SCO has crossed over the years, in addressing the security and developmental challenges of our common region."

India feels the SCO will need to continuously adapt to a changing world and reorient its objectives without diluting its original vision, Khurshid said.

Referring to India's association with the grouping as an observer since 2005, he said, "During this period, we have discovered a great degree of convergence with the SCO in underlying values, working principles and strategic ethos.

"India strongly believes in the philosophical principles guiding the SCO, like progress through consensus, decisions by constructive dialogue and strengthening mutual confidence, friendship and good neighbourly relations," he said.

"India is civilisationally linked to the ancient networks of the Silk Route which traversed the landmass occupied by the modern day SCO. These networks stimulated trans-continental development at the time, and also catalysed cultural linkages, clear evidence of which exist till today," Khurshid added.

"We therefore feel that SCO, among its other endeavours, should also focus on creating well-connected trade and investment corridors within the SCO region - with India, as in earlier times, adding value and content."

These connections, whether through rail, roads or pipelines, will help re-energise economies and bring people closer together, Khurshid said.

India seeks full member status in SCO - The Economic Times

 

[mankov]

If india continues deepening relations with usa ,then it should not be given SCO membership.

 

[ChinaToday]

Russia is doing just that. If not for Russia, Syria would have been bombed to stones

China stitches up (SCO) Silk Rd | Asia Times

While the whole world was terrified by the prospect of the Obama administration bombing Syria, Chinese President Xi Jinping was busy doing the Silk Road.

One has to love that famous Deng Xiaoping dictum; "Always maintain a low profile". This being the second-largest economy in the world, "low profile" always packs a mighty punch. Cue to September 7, in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, when Xi officially proposed no less than a New Silk Road in co-production with Central Asia.

Xi's official "economic belt along the Silk Road" is a supremely ambitious, Chinese-fueled trans-Eurasian integration mega-project, from the Pacific to the Baltic Sea; a sort of mega free-trade zone. Xi's rationale seems to be unimpeachable; the belt is

the home of "close to 3 billion people and represents the biggest market in the world with unparalleled potential".

Talk about a "wow" factor. But does that mean that China is taking over all of the Central Asian "stans"? It's not that simple.

A roomful of mirrors
On Xi's Silk Road trip, the final destination was Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan's capital, for the 13th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). And to cap it all off, nothing less than a graphic reminder of the stakes involved in the New Great Game in Eurasia; a joint meeting on the sidelines of the SCO, featuring Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

This is Rouhani's first foreign trip since he took office on August 4. Not an epic like Xi's; only two days in Bishkek. In a preliminary meeting face-to-face with Xi, Rouhani even started speaking "diplomatic Chinese" - as in the upcoming negotiations over the Iranian nuclear dossier leading, hopefully, to a "win-win" situation. Xi emphatically supported Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Rouhani stressed the Iran-China relationship "bears vital significance for Asia and the sensitive Middle East issue".

And that leads to the common Iran-China-Russia front in relation to Syria. Even before meeting with Putin, Rouhani had agreed with the Russian four-part plan for Syria, which, as Asia Times Online had reported, was brokered between Damascus, Tehran and Moscow (See Al-Qaeda's air force still on stand-by, September 11, 2013). According to the plan, Damascus joins the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); discloses the location of chemical stockpiles; allows OPCW inspectors access to the sites; and then comes the long process of destroying the stockpiles.

In the nuclear front, Tehran and Moscow remain open for business. Russia will hand operation of Unit 1 of the Bushehr nuclear power plant over to Iran in less than two weeks. And there will be more "cooperation" ahead.

The importance of this triangulation cannot be overstated. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that Xi-Putin-Rouhani Kyrgyz room. Tehran, Moscow and Beijing are more than ever united on bringing about a new multipolar international order. They share the vision that a victory for the axis of warmongers on Syria will be the prelude for a future war on Iran - and further harassment of both Russia and China.

The God of the market, it's us
Meanwhile, monster business - and strategic - opportunities beckon in the Eurasian corridor. Xi's Silk Road Economic Belt, with trademark Chinese pragmatism, is all about free trade, connectivity and currency circulation (mostly, of course, in yuan). It's ready to go because there are no more border problems between Russia and Central Asia. It ties up perfectly with China's push to develop its Far West - as in Xinjiang; consider the extra strategic Central Asian support for the development of China's Far West.

Here's an example. At a China-Eurasia Expo in Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital, earlier this week, China Telecom and two Hong Kong telecom companies signed seven deals with the governments and companies from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Mongolia. Not many people know that Urumqi boasts more than 230 Internet companies; nearly half are connected with neighboring countries. Xinjiang is not only about Han Chinese encroaching on Uyghurs; it's no less than the communications base for the Eurasian corridor - a hub for broadband and cloud computing.

Beijing is already massively investing in new roads and bridges along the Eurasian Land Bridge - another denomination of the New Silk Road. As Asia Times Online has reported, the New Silk Road is all about highways, railways, fiber optics and pipelines - with now the added Chinese push for logistics centers, manufacturing hubs and, inevitably, new townships.

There are plenty of Pipelineistan gambits to implement, and a lot of mineral resources to be exploited. And, crucially - considering the original Silk Road traversed Afghanistan - there's also the prospect of an Afghan revival as a privileged bridge between Central, East and South Asia. Not to mention speeding up China's land access to both Europe and the Middle East.

In China, no major decisions such as this are "spontaneous", but there's a neat softening PR behind it. In Astana, Xi said, "my home, Shaanxi province, is the start of the ancient Silk Road"; and he was "moved" as he reviewed Silk Road history during the trip.

He indulged in sightseeing in Samarkand's fabulous Registan square, flanked by Uzbek President Islam Karimov, and even waxed "poetic", telling Karimov, "this gives us a special feeling. We are far away in distance, but we are also so near to each other in our soul. It is just like time travel." Well, the Timurid empire has finally met its match. It's not that China hadn't done it before; during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 24), imperial envoy Zhang Qian was dispatched to Central Asia twice to open up China to global trade.

"Poetic" or not, Xi was always on message. All along his Silk Road trip, he left no doubts this is a foreign policy priority for China. China has now established strategic partnerships with all five Central Asian "stans".

The Pipelineistan angle
Kashagan is your usual Pipelineistan nightmare. Significantly, on 9/11 this week, the North Caspian Operating Co, which runs Kashagan - one of the largest oil fields discovered in the past 40 years, with 35 billion barrels in reserves - said the first oil was finally in sight.

Kashagan is in the northern Caspian Sea. I've been there. Technically, oil extraction is immensely complex; that is certainly the case here. Production should have started in 2005. No less than US$46 billion has been spent by a consortium featuring Italy's ENI, France's Total, Royal Dutch/Shell, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. Nasty bickering has been the norm. A week ago, Astana finally signed an agreement for China's CNPC to buy the former ConocoPhillips' 8.4% share.

With China stepping in, major hard cash will flow. Beijing is determined to become a major player in the Kazakh energy market. Ideally, Kashagan should be producing 370,000 barrels a day in 2014 and 1.6 million barrels by 2016.

China's strategy in Kazakhstan is basically about oil. But China also badly needs a lot of natural gas. Russia's Gazprom is betting on Beijing's non-stop thirst for gas to facilitate its shift from exporting mainly to Europe. But competition is stiff. And Turkmenistan is a key part of China's equation.

China is already planning expansions for the Central Asia-China pipeline - which it built and paid for. Exports should be up by 2015. In his Silk Road trip, Xi naturally hit Turkmenistan, inaugurating no less than one of the largest gas fields in the world, massive Galkynysh, which began production only three months ago. Most of the gas will flow through - where else - the pipeline to China. China is paying the bill, $8 billion so far, and counting.

Turkmenistan's economy now virtually depends on natural gas exports to China (at 60% of GDP). Beijing's ultimate strategy is to use its Turkmenistan leverage to extract better gas deals from Gazprom.

Kyrgyzstan also features in China's Pipelineistan strategy. Beijing will finance and operate the proposed Kyrgyzstan-China gas pipeline - which will be a key part of the fourth Turkmenistan-China pipeline. Beijing is also building a railroad linking it to with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Observing all this frenzy, we have to come back to the ultimate adage of the times; while the (Washington) dogs of war bark, the (Chinese) caravan does deals.

Those three evils
The SCO is also involved in boosting this major transportation route connecting East Asia, West Asia and South Asia, and ultimately the Pacific to the Baltic Sea.

Yet Stalin's legacy lives - as in the demented way he partitioned Central Asia. China will need to shell out a fortune in transportation. Chinese trains are always in trouble traveling on Soviet-era railways. Airline service is dodgy. For instance, there's only one flight every two days between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan (I took it; always crowded, the usual delays, stranded luggage ...)

The SCO was founded 12 years ago, when Uzbekistan joined the members of the original Shanghai Five; China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Turkmenistan preferred its splendid isolation.

The original emphasis was on mutual security. But now the SCO encompasses politics and economics as well. Yet the obsession remains on what the Chinese define as "the three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism. That's code for the Taliban and its offshoots, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The SCO also tries to fight drug trafficking and arms smuggling.

Again in classic Chinese style, the SCO is spun as fostering "mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and seeking common development", in an atmosphere of "non-alliance, non-confrontation and not being directed against any third party."

It may go a long way before becoming a sort of Eastern NATO. But it's increasingly carving its territory as a direct counterpunch to NATO - not to mention Washington's Central/South Asian chapter of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and the push for "color revolutions". The SCO is actively discussing its regional options after Washington's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2014. China and Russia will be deeply involved. Same for Iran - for the moment a SCO observer.

Xi's Silk Road belt, in principle, is not detonating alarm bells in the Kremlin. The Kremlin spin is that Russia and China's economies are complementary - as in China's "sizable financial resources" matching Russia's "technologies, industrial skills and historical relations with the region".

One wonders what the adults in assorted rooms in the Beltway think about all this (assuming they know it's happening). Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton used to wax lyrical about an American-propped New Silk Road. Well, after Xi's trip that sounds like yet another Barack Obama campaign promise.

China stitches up (SCO) Silk Rd | Asia Times ? Iranian.com

 

[Jade]

@ChinaToday

China is too dependent on US for its exports and its economic growth. Any adverse move by China against US is going to backfire severely for China. Russia has no such compulsion.