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Sergei Mironov, chairman of Russia's Federation Council, or upper house of parliament, said on Tuesday that the US-led war on Iraq will have an unfavorable impact on the security situation in Central Asia.
"It is inevitable that the Iraq war will cast an unfavorable impact on the security situation in Central Asia," Mironov told reporters after his meeting with Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Under such a circumstance, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is made of China, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstanand Kyrgyzstan, will have a much greater role to play in maintaining security in Central Asia, he said.
"Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Pact of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), as new-typed security mechanisms, will play an obvious role in tackling potential threats in the region," Mironov said.
The current stability in the region has much to do with the existence of the two mechanisms, he observed.
Russia, Armenia, Belorussia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are signatory countries to the CIS Collective Security Pact.
A CIS collective security organization will be set up later in April, Mironov said.
During his visit which concludes on Wednesday, Mironov discussed with Nazarbayev cooperation between the two countries and issues of common concern, and exchanged views on the current international and regional situation.
(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2003)
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