ISLAMABAD: Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Nurlan Yermekbayev, will visit Pakistan from 17 to 18 April to strengthen bilateral cooperation and engagement with the SCO Secretariat, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office, in a press release, said that the SCO Secretary-General is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
He will be heading a delegation comprising officials from the SCO Secretariat in Beijing.
During his stay, SG will have meetings with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Minister of Commerce, and the Foreign Secretary.
He will visit the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
The Secretary-General will also speak at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and engage with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and media persons.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a ten-member intergovernmental trans-regional organisation. It is the largest regional multilateral organisation in the world.
The SCO region is home to 3.4 billion people (42% of the world population. It occupies a landmass of 36 million square kilometres (25% of the global landmass) and accounts for a combined GDP of U$ 24.67 trillion (25% of the global GDP).
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.
“The visit of the Secretary General of the SCO will provide an opportunity for Pakistan to engage with the SCO Secretariat while highlighting its perspective and priorities for making SCO mechanisms more effective in advancing shared regional security and economic goals,” the statement concluded.
