MOSCOW: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday urged for stronger economic integration and broader partnerships among the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Dar made these remarks during his address at the 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in Moscow.
The deputy prime minister highlighted that the SCO’s broader agenda—covering trade, the economy, culture, and humanitarian cooperation—forms the basis of a “mature, forward-looking” organisation.
He emphasised that the SCO is well placed to promote regional cooperation in dealing with emergency situations and to expand cooperation in the humanitarian field.
Ishaq Dar stated that Pakistan has developed a technology-driven, proactive disaster management system and expressed interest in conducting simulation exercises with SCO partners to strengthen regional preparedness.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 delivered Pakistan’s statement at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in Moscow, sharing Pakistan’s vision for regional economic cooperation, development, and stability.
He highlighted the role of… pic.twitter.com/c7XFMknRdS
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) November 18, 2025
He proposed activating financial instruments to promote trade and economic growth, stressing the need to make full use of existing mechanisms—such as the SCO Inter-Bank Consortium—to support connectivity and technical collaboration projects.
Highlighting the importance of investing in youth, Dar said Pakistan supports expanding the SCO University Network into a consortium for applied knowledge. This, he noted, would enhance student exchanges and enable joint research initiatives in key areas including information technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture, water resource management, and telemedicine.
The deputy PM outlined several proposals for practical cooperation, including activating financial tools such as the SCO Interbank Consortium and advancing plans for an SCO Development Bank to support connectivity and technical collaboration projects.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening regional ties, Dar called for an SCO that serves as a “launch pad for shared success,” fostering greater innovation, interconnectedness, and integration among its member states.
The gathering — the SCO’s second-highest decision-making forum brings together the heads of government of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with the Vice President of Iran and the foreign ministers of Pakistan and India.
