Thursday, June 3, 2021: Hubei Province-China: Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, Pakistan (IPDS) signed an agreement of cooperation with the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (GNFCC SCO) during a high-level forum today on “SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship under the theme of “promoting people-to-people friendship and carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit” organized on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), at Wuhan in Hubei Province of the People’s Republic of China.
The Forum was co-organised by the Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Hubei Provincial People’s Government. Ms. Shen Yueyue, Deputy Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, President of the All-China Women’s Federation and General Secretary of China’s SCO Committee on Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship, and Cooperation and Ms. Farhat Asif, Founder President Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies signed the agreement of cooperation during this outstanding ceremony. The Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (GNFCC SCO) is a department directly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, which is working on expanding exchanges and cooperation of academic and cultural institutions, social organization and business groups among SCO countries, promoting their pragmatic cooperation by deepening their good-neighborly and friendly relationship. IPDS is Pakistan’s premier think and do tank focusing on public diplomacy, leadership, and peacebuilding research and skills. IPDS has established the Pakistan-SCO Friendship Forum, Pakistan SCO Business Council, SCO Studies Centre, and other important initiatives focusing on building people-to-people ties in the SCO region. “Wuhan Initiative of SCO Forum on People to People Friendship” was also launched during the opening ceremony. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the SCO on the occasion where he expressed hope that through this initiative there will be enhanced mutual understanding, deepening friendship and cooperation.
Ms. Farhat Asif, President IPDS represented Pakistan at the forum and made her remarks. Among the other high level speakers at the forum were Li Lecheng, Executive Vice Governor of Hubei Province, Ying Yong, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Vladimir Norov, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Lin Songtian, the President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Wang Kaiwen, previous Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO and current Deputy Secretary-General of Xi’an Eurasian Economic Forum, Vice Foreign Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of People’s Republic of China, Ivan Melnikov, the Deputy Chairman of the Lower Chamber of the Russian Parliament (State Duma), Andrey Denisov, Russian Ambassador to China, Athar Zafar,Head for SCO affairs-Indian Council of World Affairs, Director of Tajikistan’s SCO Center for Friendship, Director SCO Public Diplomacy Centre, Uzbekistan, representative from Russia-China Friendship Association and others also spoke on the occasion. A large number of high-level officials, diplomats, representatives of media, and civil society were present at Wuhan.
