Islamabad (TDI): As part of the official two-day visit of the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Nurlan Yermekbayev, to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the SG met with the country’s Federal Minister of Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, on April 17.
The importance of encouraging the private sector in the member states of the Organization was emphasized in the interest of creating favorable conditions for promoting business and investments in the region.
The interlocutors discussed the prospects for deepening cooperation in the trade and economic sphere within the Organization, including investments, the digital economy, and industry.
The Secretary-General noted the significant contribution of Pakistan in the acceleration of economic processes in the SCO.
He particularly mentioned Pakistan’s successful chairmanship of the Council of Heads of Government in October last year and the Meeting of Ministers responsible for foreign economic and foreign trade activities.
Read More: SCO Offers Pakistan Economic Resurgence and Opportunities
The parties also exchanged views on the creation of a mechanism for the financial support of SCO project activities with the aim of achieving practical results in the economic cooperation domain.
Today, the Secretary General was received by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar.
During the meeting, Ishaq Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment for the “Shanghai spirit,” and appreciated the role of SCO as a forum for promoting regional peace, security, & economic development.
Both dignitaries exchanged views on SCO priorities. They deliberated on ways and means for advancing cooperation under the multilateral regional organization, in the areas of transportation and logistics, energy security, food security, health, e-commerce, and green economy.
Read More: FM Dar Receives Secretary General of SCO, Reaffirms ‘Shanghai Spirit’
SCO’s Secretary General is also scheduled to meet Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary, Amna Baloch and will visit the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
SCO, now a ten-member inter-governmental trans-regional organization, originally started off as Shanghai Five in 1996. It assumed its current name in 2001, while Pakistan joined this regional organization in 2017.
It is the largest regional multilateral organization of the world. SCO region is home to 3.4 billion people, which makes 42% of the world population.
Nuzhat Rana is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
