ISLAMABAD: Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will further promote regional connectivity as part of its future agenda.
FM Qureshi congratulated China on assuming the Chair of SCO Council of Heads of Government for 2022. Pakistani foreign minister expressed these in his virtual address at the 20th anniversary of the Council of the Heads of Shinghai Cooperation Organisation.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi represented Pakistan at the 20th Anniversary meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) today.
The Council of Heads of Government is the second highest forum in SCO that focuses primarily on cooperation among SCO Member States in socio-economic, trade and financial sectors. Chaired by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, H.E Askar Mamin, the SCO-CHG was held in a virtual format owing to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. SCO Member States and Observers States were represented at the level of Prime Ministers, Vice Presidents and Foreign Ministers.
In his statement, Foreign Minister Qureshi described the 20th anniversary year of the establishment of SCO as an important juncture where SCO leaders need to collectively chart the future course of the Organization. The Foreign Minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s “resolute commitment to continue to advance SCO’s goals and objectives.”
The Foreign Minister underscored that regional security was imperative in fulfilling SCO’s vision of regional prosperity and economic growth. In this endeavor, stability in Afghanistan was of critical importance for all member states of SCO. On its part, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed, Pakistan will continue to “play its role to assist our Afghan brethren in their hour of need by contributing towards its socio-economic development” as well as engage with regional and international partners to advance shared goals and objectives.
The Foreign Minister, emphasized that projects aimed at building regional connectivity as well as creating linkages between businessmen and entrepreneurs were important to achieve regional economic growth. Pakistan would be taking forward initiatives in these areas during 2022.
