Islamabad:Seven prime ministers, including those from China and Russia, will attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in Islamabad next week, as confirmed by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Saturday.
The prime ministers of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will also be present, along with Iran’s First Vice President and India’s External Affairs Minister.
Additionally, the Prime Minister of Mongolia, an SCO observer state, and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers will join as special guests.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the 23rd CHG meeting on October 15-16 in his role as the current SCO CHG chair. Bilateral meetings with visiting leaders are planned on the sidelines of the summit.
According to the Foreign Office, the meeting will focus on reviewing ongoing cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural ties. Leaders will also adopt decisions to enhance collaboration between member states.
This marks the first major regional conference hosted by Pakistan in several years, leading to heightened security measures in the capital.
In light of a recent terrorist attack in Karachi that resulted in the deaths of two Chinese engineers, the federal government has announced a three-day public holiday in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Despite the attack, the high-level participation underscores the continued commitment of SCO members.
Apart from India, whose representation remains at the ministerial level, all other participating states will be represented by their prime ministers or vice presidents.
The SCO, founded in 2001 by China, Russia, and several Central Asian nations, seeks to foster regional stability and cooperation. Over time, the group has expanded to include India, Pakistan, and Iran as full members, with Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia holding observer status.