PM Shahbaz Sharif anticipates stronger relations with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Secretary-General Ambassador Zhang Ming, who — along with officials from the SCO secretariat in Beijing, China — is currently on a visit to invite the PM to join the bloc’s annual summit which will be held in Uzbekistan from September 15-16 this year.

Taking to Twitter, the premier shared that during the meeting he reiterated Pakistan’s strong commitment to the principles of the SCO and the Shanghai spirit. He appreciated the organisation’s role in strengthening international solidarity and cooperation amid global challenges, particularly the rising prices of food and fuel.

Following Pakistan’s commitment to work with SCO member countries, the PM shared that the government is willing to work for the promotion of cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, connectivity and communication, energy and agriculture, climate change and information technology,” he said, adding that there is immense scope for intra-SCO trade.

Ambassador Ming has been on a four-day visit to Pakistan with the SCO delegation. During his stay in the federal capital, he conducted meetings with the foreign minister, ministers of commerce, information technology, climate change, and maritime affairs. The SCO secretary-general also spoke at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and engaged with business leaders and entrepreneurs.

“The visit of the SCO Secretary-General will provide an opportunity for Pakistan to engage with the SCO Secretariat while highlighting its perspective and priorities to make SCO mechanisms more effective in advancing shared regional security and economic goals,” a statement released by the Foreign Office read.

It further stated that the “SCO provides an important platform for Pakistan to further strengthen its deep-rooted and historic ties with the member states and promote socio-economic cooperation for mutual benefit across diverse areas.”

Comprised of eight member countries including China and Russia, the SCO is a trans-regional multilateral entity. Member countries of the organisation make up 41% of the global population and comprise 23% of the global GDP.