The Contact Group between the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (hereinafter the SCO) and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (hereinafter Afghanistan) is established with the purpose of elaborating proposals and recommendations on realisation of cooperation between the SCO and Afghanistan on issues of mutual interest.

　　The Contact Group consists of Permanent Representatives of member states to the SCO Secretariat, Secretariat officers and senior diplomats of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the People’s Republic of China.

　　If necessary, meetings of the Contact Group can involve representatives of other SCO bodies, as well as experts of SCO member states and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

　　The Contact Group conducts its activity in the form of consultations, which are held by mutual agreement on the premises of the SCO Secretariat and/or the Embassy of Afghanistan to the People’s Republic of China. By mutual agreement, meetings can be held in other places.

　　Coordination is carried out:

　　-on the part of the SCO - by an SCO Secretariat officer;

　　-on the part of Afghanistan - by an authorised senior diplomat of the Embassy of Afghanistan to the People’s Republic of China.

　　If necessary, under mutual coordination, Contact Group members can travel to Afghanistan for consultations with competent Afghan institutions. Dispatching parties cover the expenses, related to trips by the Contact Group members to Afghanistan.

　　The working languages of the Contact Group are Chinese, Russian and English.

　　The Contact Group stops its activity by mutual agreement.

　　By mutual agreement, amendments and supplements can be made to the document. They are then formalised by separate protocols, which come into force from the date of their signature.

　　Signed in Beijing 2005, November 4 in two copies in the Chinese, Russian and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. This Protocol comes into force from the date of its signature.