Pakistan all set to host SCO summit today

Pakistan is set to host the summit of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday).

In this connection, stringent arrangements to ensure the event proceeds smoothly have been made. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the high-level meeting.

The meeting will be attended by the prime ministers and high-ranking officials from the SCO member states, including Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the Iran’s first vice president.

India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang, will also represent their respective countries.

The Mongolian prime minister, as an observer state, along with the Turkmenistan deputy chairman of the cabinet of ministers and foreign minister, as special guests, will also participate in the meeting.

The SCO Council of Heads of Government will deliberate ongoing cooperation in economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural linkages,. It will also review the organisation’s performance.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif 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.

Shehbaz will also hold important bilateral meetings with visiting heads of delegations on the sidelines of the summit.