Deputy PM to hold bilateral meetings with regional leaders during Nov 17–18 gathering
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar will head Pakistan’s delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit taking place in Moscow on November 17–18, the Foreign Office announced on Monday.
The visit comes at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, according to the FO statement.
Broad participation expected
The Moscow session will bring together heads of government from Russia, China, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and India will be represented by their foreign ministers, while Iran’s vice president will also attend.
Delegations from Mongolia, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait and Turkmenistan, along with leaders of several regional bodies including the CIS, EAEU, CSTO, and the DSA are scheduled to participate as observers or guests.
Pakistan’s priorities
Dar is expected to outline Pakistan’s views on major regional and global developments and propose ways to deepen cooperation within the SCO framework.
“In his address, the deputy prime minister will highlight Pakistan’s perspective on key challenges and opportunities and emphasise measures to enhance the organisation’s contribution to regional prosperity,” the FO said.
Role of the CHG
The CHG is the SCO’s second-highest decision-making forum, responsible for guiding collaboration in economic affairs, trade, connectivity, finance, and broader socio-economic initiatives. It also reviews and approves the organisation’s budget and adopts collective declarations and decisions.
Bilateral engagements
The Foreign Office confirmed that Dar will also meet leaders of other SCO member states on the sidelines to discuss bilateral ties and areas of mutual interest.
Looking ahead
The previous SCO summit took place in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1.
In September, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan will host the next SCO summit, marking an important moment in the country’s engagement with the organisation.
