Islamabad, 22 July 2022 (TDI): Ambassador Zhang Ming, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
🔊: PR NO. 3️⃣2️⃣8️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣
Call on the Foreign Minister by Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
🔗⬇️https://t.co/DlGAIyrR4Z pic.twitter.com/KexIAj4Bko
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) July 22, 2022
The meeting was held at the Foreign Office, today. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan warmly welcomed the Secretary-General along with his delegation to Pakistan.
He also congratulated him on his appointment as the Secretary-General of SCO. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also reaffirmed the commitment of Pakistan to the principles and purposes of the SCO Charter as well as the ‘Shanghai Spirit.’
He assured the active support of Pakistan to the Secretary-General in taking forward the development cooperation agenda of SCO.
Along these lines, the Foreign Minister also underscored the immense potential of the SCO region. He went on to state that working together for harnessing this potential was a collaborative responsibility.
In this context, joint efforts will boost the sustained progress and prosperity of the entire SCO region. While shedding light on the multifarious socio-economic cooperation spectrum of SCO, Foreign Minister Bilawal stressed Pakistan’s interest in critical priority regions.
These include food security; connectivity & transport; innovation and technology exchange, start-ups and digital literacy; trade and economy, including e-commerce; and youth empowerment.
Aside from that, he also emphasized the potential of Pakistan as a trade and trans-shipment hub for SCO countries. In the same vein, he reiterated the keenness of Pakistan to actively further strengthen the SCO.
The two sides also exchanged views on the further expansion of the Organization and modernization of the working mechanisms of SCO. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan also reassured the Secretary-General about the support of Pakistan for the reform process.
On the situation in Afghanistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged to maintain practical cooperation and constructive engagement for the promotion of the common goals of stability, peace, connectivity, and regional development.
He further reiterated that the global community ought to address the challenges of a grave economic crisis and humanitarian situation.
Also, the Afghan authorities, need to address the apprehensions of the global community regarding respect for the rights of all Afghans, including girls’ education; inclusivity; and persistent counter-terrorism efforts.
