Pakistan is set to host a two-day meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Islamabad starting Tuesday.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will lead the meeting, with representatives from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with the First Vice President of Iran and the External Affairs Minister of India. China’s Premier of the State Council, Li Qiang, will also attend. The Prime Minister of Mongolia, as an Observer State, and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister as a Special Guest will participate as well.
Read more: Chinese Premier Li Qiang to Visit Pakistan for SCO Summit
The SCO meeting will focus on ongoing cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural connections, while also reviewing the organization’s performance. Additionally, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to hold important bilateral meetings with the visiting delegation heads.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistan is well-prepared to host the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council. He emphasized that all institutions and departments have cooperated effectively to organize the summit, which runs from Tuesday to Wednesday in Islamabad. He noted that the Chinese delegation will arrive tomorrow for bilateral talks, while no request has been received from the Indian External Affairs Minister for similar discussions.
Ishaq Dar also mentioned that a political party is attempting to disrupt the summit by calling for protests in the capital, urging them to withdraw their call in the nation’s best interest. He added that recent visits from the Malaysian Prime Minister and a Saudi delegation to Pakistan have been successful.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, established on June 15, 2001, is a permanent intergovernmental organization focused on enhancing multilateral cooperation, promoting peace and security, and establishing a new international economic order.
