Islamabad (TDI): Leaders from the SCO member countries are still arriving in Pakistan for participating in the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) commences today in Islamabad.
The prime ministers and high-ranking officials from the SCO member states, including China, India, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the First Vice President of Iran will participate in meeting.
The Chinese premier and Vice President of Iran Mohammad Arif are already in Pakistan for attending the summit and bilateral talks with Pakistani officials.
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Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad today along with a delegation. He would be the first prime minister of Russia that will visit Pakistan.
Sources said that his brief meeting with Pakistani side is also expected on the sideline of the summit.
External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar is expected to arrive in Pakistan today while Indian journalists arrived, earlier, in Islamabad for coverage.
Jaishankar is the first Indian foreign minister, after Sushma Swaraj who visited Islamabad in December 2015, to be here almost after 10 years.
He is expected to attend the welcome dinner, hosted by PM Shehbaz at the PM House for the delegates on Tuesday.
The prime ministers of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are also due in Islamabad today.
For the first time in history, the prime minister of Mangoliawill visit Pakistan for the Summit.
The Prime Minister of Mongolia, as an observer state, along with the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, as special guests, will also participate in the meeting.
The SCO Council of Heads of Government will discuss ongoing cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural linkages, and will review the organisation’s performance.
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PM Shehbaz will assume the chair of the SCO Council of Chief Executives/Heads of Government today for a one-year period, as India is relinquishing it after 17 months.
The Prime Minister will host dinner in honor of the dignitaries from the foreign countries today. And President Asif Ali Zardari will host dinner in honor of them on Wednesday.
The PM will also hold important bilateral meetings with visiting heads of delegations on the sidelines of the summit.
