Shengyang (TDI): The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities formally opened on Friday in Shenyang, northeast China, with representatives from across SCO member states, including Pakistan, attending the high-level gathering aimed at strengthening regional engagement through cultural diplomacy and subnational cooperation.
The opening ceremony was moderated by Wang Xinwei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and Governor of Liaoning Province. The welcome address was delivered by Hao Peng, Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress.
Delivering the keynote speech, Shen Yueyue, Vice Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the SCO Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission, called for deepening unity among SCO countries and strengthening the “Shanghai Spirit”—a vision built on mutual trust, equality, and shared development. Shen stressed the need to promote openness, inclusiveness, and intergenerational friendship, framing the SCO’s people-to-people ties as central to a shared future.
Pakistan’s participation in the forum is part of a broader strategy to enhance its engagement across the SCO framework through diplomatic, cultural, and city-level initiatives. As one of the key SCO member states, Islamabad has been actively promoting regional connectivity, public diplomacy, and civil society engagement in recent years, viewing the SCO as an important platform for multilateral cooperation. Asif Noor, Secretary General Pakistan-SCO Friendship Forum is representing Pakistan’s civil society at the international forum.
The ceremony also featured speeches from several senior officials representing SCO countries. These included Marat Imankulov, State Secretary of Kyrgyzstan; Ziyafat Asgarov, Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis; and Nurlan Yermekbayev, Secretary General of the SCO. Remarks were also delivered by Yang Wanming, President of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), along with senior representatives from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Russia.
Ruslan Bolotov, Mayor of Irkutsk, highlighted the growing role of cities in advancing regional dialogue. Jamshed Toshev, Deputy Director of the SCO Friendship and Cooperation Center in Tajikistan, emphasized the role of institutional cooperation in building regional peace. Wang Hesheng, Member of the CPPCC and Chairman of the Lifeline Express Foundation, focused his remarks on health diplomacy and social development.
The forum adopted two key outcome documents: the Consensus on Actions for Sustainable Development of People-to-People Exchanges among SCO Countries and the 2025 Shenyang Initiative, both of which underline the importance of mutual learning, connectivity, and sustainable partnerships.
As the SCO chair for 2025, China has emphasized people-centered diplomacy as a priority. Hosting the forum in Shenyang reflects the growing emphasis on provincial diplomacy and the role of local governments in international affairs. The forum also included a signing ceremony for new international friendship city agreements and cooperative initiatives between local governments and civil society groups.
The participation of Pakistan and other member states is expected to further advance practical cooperation in areas ranging from education and culture to municipal governance and development.
The SCO People-to-People Forum continues through the weekend, with sub-forums, exhibitions, and delegation-level meetings scheduled to discuss specific areas of collaboration.
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