Afghanistan remains one of biggest security challenges: Putin

Astana [Kazakhstan], October 13 : Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that Afghanistan remains one of the biggest security challenges in Asia and insisted on using the resources of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its regional anti-terrorist body to normalise the situation in the country.
Putin made the remarks during the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) which is taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan.
He also invited all the Asian countries to engage in closer cooperation with the International Counter-Terrorist Data Bank which is established at Russia's initiative at the CICA Summit, the official statement of the President of Russia stated.
The Russian President also took a sharp dig at US's withdrawal from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover and said that Afghanistan was unable to independently deal with the terrorist threat even after 20 years of the presence of the US and NATO as blasts continue to take place in the war-torn nation, the recent one being the blast outside the Russian Embassy in Kabul on September 5, the official statement added.
He further called the presence of the US and NATO in Afghanistan a failing policy.
Underlining that Russia was a founding country of the CICA Business Council, Putin said that the country is working hard together with other Asian counties to create a system of equal and indivisible security based on the universally recognised principles of international law and the UN Charter.
Calling Russian countries drivers of economic growth, the Russian President underlined the committment to the development and prosperity of Asia, to create an open trade and investment cooperation space and broadening and deepening cooperation ties in various economic sectors, the statement said.
CICA is a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia. It is a forum based on the recognition that there is a close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and the rest of the world.
With 27 member states and about half the population our the planet, CICA is the largest regional intergovernmental forum in Asia for enhancing cooperation towards promoting, peace, security and stability in Asia.
The member states, while affirming their commitment to the UN Charter, believe that peace and security in Asia can be achieved through dialogue and cooperation leading to a common indivisible area of security in Asia where all states co-exist peacefully and their peoples live in peace, freedom and prosperity.
From India, Meenakshi Lekhi is leading the delegation to the 6th Summit meeting of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
As one of the founding members of CICA, India has supported CICA's initiatives, including by organizing and participating in various CICA activities.