President Ghani attends SCO and BRICS summits in Russia

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left for Russia on Thursday morning to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summits.

President Ghani will discuss regional cooperation and its importance for Afghanistan’s economic growth and political stability.

According to Russian sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with President Ghani on the sidelines of SCO and BRICS summits in Russia’s UFA on July 10.

The SCO could prove a guarantor for projects such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

The five BRICS emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will meet from July 8 to 9.

The SCO – which is a political, economic and military organization founded by China, Russia, and Central Asia’s Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – is scheduled for July 9-10.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have the status of observer states within the organization.