NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will travel to India to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will lead a Pakistani delegation for the SCO meeting on May 4-5 in Goa, a Pakistan foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.
Foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch announced the decision at a weekly media briefing. “Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be leading the Pakistan delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) being held on May 4-5, 2023, in Goa, India,” she said, ending weeks-long speculation if he would attend the conference in person.
She said the Pakistan foreign minister would be attending the meeting as external affairs minister S Jaishankar had invited him to attend the SCO moot.
“Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” Baloch said.
It would be the highest-level visit to India by any Pakistani leader in recent years and a possible opportunity to break the ice between the two nations.
India assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO at the 2022 SCO Summit held in Samarkand in Uzbekistan and will host the next summit of council of heads of state this year.
Since its accession as a full-fledged member state in 2017, India has maintained an active engagement with the organisation and New Delhi is focusing on initiating proposals for mutual benefit of SCO member states, observers and dialogue partners, according to a statement.
What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization that was founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. The main goals of the SCO are to strengthen mutual trust and good-neighborliness among member states, promote their effective cooperation in political, trade, economic, and other areas.
How many countries are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has eight member states: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
Besides full 8 members, the SCO has four “observer states” interested in acceding to full membership, and six “dialogue partners”.
Observer states: Mongolia, Iran, Belarus, Afghanistan
Dialogue partners: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Turkey, Nepal, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
(With inputs from agencies)
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will lead a Pakistani delegation for the SCO meeting on May 4-5 in Goa, a Pakistan foreign ministry official said on Wednesday.
Foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch announced the decision at a weekly media briefing. “Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be leading the Pakistan delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) being held on May 4-5, 2023, in Goa, India,” she said, ending weeks-long speculation if he would attend the conference in person.
She said the Pakistan foreign minister would be attending the meeting as external affairs minister S Jaishankar had invited him to attend the SCO moot.
“Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” Baloch said.
It would be the highest-level visit to India by any Pakistani leader in recent years and a possible opportunity to break the ice between the two nations.
India assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO at the 2022 SCO Summit held in Samarkand in Uzbekistan and will host the next summit of council of heads of state this year.
Since its accession as a full-fledged member state in 2017, India has maintained an active engagement with the organisation and New Delhi is focusing on initiating proposals for mutual benefit of SCO member states, observers and dialogue partners, according to a statement.
What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organization that was founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. The main goals of the SCO are to strengthen mutual trust and good-neighborliness among member states, promote their effective cooperation in political, trade, economic, and other areas.
How many countries are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization?
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has eight member states: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
Besides full 8 members, the SCO has four “observer states” interested in acceding to full membership, and six “dialogue partners”.
Observer states: Mongolia, Iran, Belarus, Afghanistan
Dialogue partners: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Turkey, Nepal, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
(With inputs from agencies)