ISLAMABAD: Chinese Premier Li Qiang has arrived in Islamabad today on a four-day visit to Pakistan, local media reported. He was warmly received by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the airport.
During his stay in Islamabad, Prime Minister Li Qiang will participate in the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Chinese Prime Minister Li will also be accompanied by ministers and top officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce, the National Development and Reform Commission and the China International Development Cooperation Agency, local media reported.
Shehbaz Sharif and Li Qiang will lead their respective delegations to comprehensively discuss the entire aspects of Pakistan-China relations including trade and economic ties and cooperation under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). They will also discuss regional and international developments during the talks.
Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The foreign dignitaries have started to arrive in Islamabad to participate in an all-important session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). A four-member delegation of India, a 76-member team of Russia and a 13-member delegation of China have already arrived in Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the two-member delegation of Iran and the four-member delegation of Kyrgyzstan have also reached for the SCO moot. The SCO summit would take place on October 15 and 16 in the federal capital.
According to the foreign office spokesperson, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would preside over the SCO meeting.
The SCO, which comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, serves as a platform for discussing regional security, trade, and humanitarian issues.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was founded in 1996 by China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan in order to build mutual trust among member nations, to encourage regional cooperation under the name “Shanghai Five”.
Active participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) reflects Islamabad’s keen interest in regional peace, stability and socio-economic development. The forum provides a platform for Pakistan in order to explore greater economic relations and cooperation within the region in key areas such as investment, trade, innovation, energy, and entrepreneurship, transport and connectivity.
According to official website of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, key priorities for Pakistan in SCO include cooperation in socio-cultural, economic, humanitarian spheres and other regional matters.
