ISLAMABAD: Seven prime ministers, including those from China and Russia, will attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government in Islamabad next week, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed on Saturday.
Prime ministers from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will also participate, along with Iran’s First Vice President and India’s External Affairs Minister.
The Prime Minister of Mongolia, an SCO observer state, and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers will join as special guests.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the 23rd Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15-16 in his capacity as the current SCO CHG chair. Bilateral meetings with visiting leaders are also planned on the sidelines of the summit.
The CHG meeting will focus on ongoing cooperation in areas such as the economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural links. The leaders will adopt important organizational decisions to enhance ties among member states.
This marks the first major regional conference hosted by Pakistan in years, leading to increased security measures in the capital. The federal government has declared a three-day public holiday in Islamabad and Rawalpindi following a recent terrorist attack in Karachi that resulted in the deaths of two Chinese engineers.
The high-level attendance reflects that SCO members remain committed to the organization despite the attack. While India will be represented at the ministerial level, all other participating states will send either their prime ministers or vice presidents.
Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, and Central Asian nations, the SCO aims to promote regional stability and cooperation. The organization has since expanded to include India, Pakistan, and Iran as full members, with Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia as observers.
