Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan is set to host the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) from October 15-16, 2024, at the Jinnah Convention Centre.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the meeting as the current chair of the CHG.
Pakistan’s Membership in SCO
Established on June 15, 2001, by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization aimed at fostering multilateral cooperation, promoting peace and security, and establishing a new international economic order. Pakistan became a member of the SCO in 2017.
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Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch recently stated that since joining, Pakistan has consistently worked to strengthen good neighbourly relations and has remained committed to the purposes and principles outlined in the SCO Charter, along with the values of the Shanghai Spirit.
SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG)
The Council of Heads of Government serves as the second-highest forum within the SCO, focusing primarily on enhancing cooperation among member states in socio-economic, trade, and financial sectors.
The Council convenes once a year to discuss strategies for multilateral cooperation, prioritize key issues within the organization, and approve the SCO’s budget.
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The previous meeting of the SCO CHG took place in Bishkek on October 26, 2023, where Pakistan was represented by Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.
During that meeting, Pakistan assumed the rotating Chair of the Council of Heads of Government for the term 2023-2024.
Leaders to Attend Summit
The list of confirmed leaders attending the summit includes: Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref, and Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko.
Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet Chairman Zhaparov Akylbek, Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman Rashid Meredov are also attending the event.
Moreover, SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming, SCO RATS Executive Committee Director Ruslan Mirzayev, SCO Business Council Chairman Atif Ikram Shaikh, and SCO Interbank Union Chairman Marat Yelibayev are also visiting Pakistan to attend the high-level conference.
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