Iran sounds strident note at Central Asian summit

BISHKEK, Aug 16 (Reuters) Iran's president blasted US plans for a missile defence shield today, striking a hostile note at a regional summit aimed at counter-balancing Western influence in resource-rich Central Asia.

The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) emphasised regional self-reliance in energy and security and sent a signal to the West from alliance leaders Russia and China that they should play the dominant role in Central Asia.

At the one-day meeting of a group dubbed ''anti-NATO'' by one Russian newspaper, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said US plans for a missile shield in eastern Europe ''concern most of the continent, both Asia and the SCO members''.

Washington says the shield is intended to be capable of intercepting missiles fired from rogue states like Iran, but Russia has described the plans as a threat to its security.

''There are still some countries used to speaking the language of force,'' Ahmadinejad, guest of honour at the summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, said through a translator.

Regional energy and security cooperation -- not the missile shield -- were the main focus of the talks, attended by heads of state from SCO members China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Central Asia is the scene of mounting rivalry over access to its huge oil, gas and mineral resources.

The region is viewed by the United States and Europe as a promising alternative energy source to Russia, while China is seeking more energy to power its booming economy and Moscow wants to maintain its grip on export routes.

The SCO states, which two years ago called on the United States to set a date for pulling its troops out of Central Asia, are holding joint military exercises in Russia to coincide with the summit.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters these exercises would become an annual event.

US INVESTMENT But Central Asian leaders were careful to stress that they did not want to drive out Western powers.

The United States is the biggest investor in Kazakhstan, and US companies are the biggest players in its Caspian Sea oil fields.

Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said SCO security cooperation was ''not aimed against third countries''.

The summit's final communique was short on details, but stressed self-reliance.

''The heads of state believe that stability and security in Central Asia can only be achieved through the means of the regional states on the basis of the existing regional groupings,'' it said.

On energy, the declaration said SCO members ''pay strong attention to cooperation in this sphere''.

Earlier this year, Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed a deal to expand a Soviet-era pipeline system to deliver gas from the Caspian region via Russia.

That deal undermined Western plans for an alternative export route under the Caspian Sea, bypassing Russia.

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev told the summit the Soviet-era pipelines could become a basis of a common energy market for SCO states.

''Our actions should aim to create an Energy Club, which in our understanding could become one of the key elements of Asian energy strategy,'' he said. There was little detail on how the club would operate.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai was at the summit as a guest.

SCO leaders listed drug traffic from Afghanistan and political instability in the country as major security threats to the region.

Putin suggested holding a special SCO conference on Afghanistan to see how the grouping could help.

REUTERS SBC PM2040