SCO summit begins today in Islamabad

This evening in Islamabad is the beginning of much-anticipated summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Key member states of SCO includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, whereas, sixteen additional countries are affiliated as observers or dialogue partners.

Pakistan became a full member of the SCO during the 2017 summit held in Kazakhstan, which was attended by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has recently expressed optimism about rekindling ties with India.

As the current Chair of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will oversee the summit proceedings.

Premier Li Qiang from China will also be attending, marking the first visit by a Chinese premier to Pakistan in over a decade.

According to a schedule released by the foreign ministry, which has been shared with Dawn.com, today’s main highlight will be a welcome dinner hosted by the Prime Minister. Delegations will continue to arrive throughout the day.

Once all delegations are present, a series of activities are planned for tomorrow, with the summit sessions expected to commence in the morning.

As per the agenda, participants will gather at the Jinnah Convention Centre on Wednesday morning, where they will be welcomed by PM Shehbaz. After group photographs, the Prime Minister will deliver opening remarks, followed by statements from representatives of other member states. A key item on the agenda includes the signing of important documents, after which PM Shehbaz will provide concluding remarks.

In the afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming will hold a media briefing to discuss the summit’s key points, followed by official luncheons hosted by PM Shehbaz.

Additional Leaders Arrive

Around midday today, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan and Belarus arrived at Nur Khan Airbase, where they were welcomed, as reported by PTV News.

India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India at the summit, according to his ministry, which emphasized the country’s active engagement in the SCO framework. Jaishankar has indicated that he will not address bilateral relations during his visit, which marks his first trip to Pakistan in nearly a decade.

As reported by the Times of India, Jaishankar has not yet arrived in Pakistan. The News has stated that the Indian minister is expected to stay in Islamabad for approximately 24 hours before returning to New Delhi on Wednesday evening.

The Indian High Commission’s media wing informed The News on Monday that there were no updates regarding Jaishankar’s media schedule. However, sources indicate that he is likely to hold at least two meetings on the sidelines of the summit with his Chinese and Russian counterparts.

Representatives from China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will be their prime ministers, while Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref will also attend the summit, as confirmed by the Foreign Office.

Additionally, PM Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene from Mongolia, an observer state, and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov from special guest Turkmenistan will be participating in the meeting.