ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for the expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) while presiding over the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad.
The SCO includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, with 16 additional countries affiliated as observers or dialogue partners. Pakistan became a full member of the SCO during the 2017 summit in Kazakhstan, attended by former PM Nawaz Sharif, who recently expressed hope for improved relations with India.
As Chair of the SCO’s Council of the Heads of Government (CHG), PM Shehbaz is leading the summit at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad. In his address, he advocated for expanding flagship projects like China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), now in its second phase, and the International North-South Transport Corridor. He urged member states to focus on developing road, rail, and digital infrastructure to strengthen regional connectivity.
“Let us not view such projects through a narrow political lens,” he said, encouraging investment in collective connectivity to promote economic integration across the region. The prime minister emphasized that the SCO’s connectivity framework should not only enhance regional trade but also support a vision for a connected Eurasia.
Shehbaz highlighted that economic collaboration is central to the SCO’s mission and that investment in regional infrastructure is essential for advancing economic integration. He also called for the SCO to endorse a strategy for Energy Cooperation 2030 and the creation of an Association of Investors.
Addressing Poverty and Climate Change
In addition to economic topics, the prime minister addressed issues like poverty and climate change. He stressed that poverty is not just an economic concern but a “moral imperative” requiring collective action, noting that millions within the SCO region still live in poverty. Pakistan, as chair of the SCO’s special working group on poverty, has facilitated seminars and webinars focused on alleviating poverty, and PM Shehbaz pledged continued efforts to address its root causes and improve quality of life across the region.
Turning to climate change, Shehbaz recalled the devastating floods of 2022 that left millions of Pakistanis homeless, destroyed millions of acres of crops, and caused economic losses of around $30 billion. He emphasized that Pakistan was suffering from the effects of climate change “for no fault of ours,” calling for global cooperation to address the crisis.
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