Islamabad : Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar departed for Moscow on Monday to represent Pakistan at the upcoming Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), according to a statement from the Foreign Office (FO).
The SCO summit, scheduled for November 17-18, is being hosted at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin.
The CHG meeting will bring together heads of government from SCO member states, including Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with the vice president of Iran and foreign ministers from both Pakistan and India.
Leaders from observer states such as Mongolia, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, and Turkmenistan will also attend, along with representatives from regional and international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
During the summit, Deputy Prime Minister Dar is expected to present Pakistan’s perspective on key regional and global issues. He will also discuss opportunities to strengthen the SCO’s role and promote cooperation among member states in areas such as trade, connectivity, and socio-economic development.
Additionally, Dar is set to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from other SCO member countries on the sidelines of the summit.
The CHG is the second-highest decision-making body within the SCO, responsible for guiding the organization’s initiatives in fields such as economics, trade, finance, and socio-economic development. It also oversees the adoption of joint statements, communiqués, and key decisions.
Earlier this year, the SCO held its summit in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced in September that Pakistan would host the next SCO summit, although the specific date for the event has yet to be confirmed.
