Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Prime Ministers Council Meeting Begins In Pakistan

The Meeting of Council of Prime Ministers of SCO Member States has begun in Pakistan, with Russia represented by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The SCO includes full members Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Dialogue partners include Afghanistan and Mongolia, while Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, and the United Arab Emirates are Observers. Guest attendees include ASEAN, the CIS, Turkmenistan, and the United Nations.

On this occasion, New Delhi’s position will be presented by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. It is the first time in nearly nine years that an Indian foreign minister has travelled to Pakistan.

The two-day agenda will include development of regional trade and economic cooperation, strengthening socio-cultural ties between the SCO member countries, combating climate change, and reviewing the SCO performance. The meetings will be chaired by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

China’s Premier Li Qiang inaugurated a China-funded international airport in Gwadar, a key Pakistani port on the Arabian Sea. This is part of a massive ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor’ (CPEC) investment by Beijing that links a deep sea port and airport on the Arabian Sea by road and rail to the Chinese border in Northern Pakistan.

Russia has also been involved in developing overland supply routes with Pakistan via Iran.