ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will lead the Pakistani delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting scheduled to be held on May 4-5 in Goa, India.
The confirmation was made by Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday.
Bilawal’s participation in the meeting comes on the invitation of the current Chair of SCO CFM, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India.
According to the spokesperson, Pakistan is currently preparing for the meeting, and Bilawal’s attendance at the meeting highlights Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes, and the importance Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities. Pakistan has been a member of the SCO since 2017.
Bilawal had attended the last meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in July last year in Tashkent.
The spokesperson said that Pakistan continues to take part in SCO meetings in keeping with its long-standing commitment to the group.
In addition to Bilawal Bhutto’s participation, Pakistan’s Minister of Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman, represented the country at the 4th SCO summit of Heads of Ministries on Environmental Protection, which was held online in New Delhi on April 18.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) director also virtually attended the SCO Expert Meeting of Heads of Agencies for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations.
Muhammad Idrees Mahsud, Member of Disaster Risk Reduction, today virtually participated in another SCO meeting.
Pakistan closely monitoring situation in Sudan
The spokesperson also commented on the situation in Sudan, stating that Pakistan continues to follow the worrying developments in Sudan and is closely monitoring the safety and security of the Pakistani community there.
The Pakistani Embassy in Sudan remains in constant and close contact with the community, and facilitating them.
The well-being of Pakistani nationals in Sudan remains a key priority for the Government of Pakistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The upcoming SCO meeting in India is expected to focus on regional security, economic cooperation, and connectivity among member countries. The SCO comprises eight member countries, including Pakistan, India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
