Thursday 15 September 2022

Pakistani Prime Minister meets world leaders at Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting

Pakistani Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Samarkand Thursday on a two-day trip to attend the 22nd annual meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Uzbekistan PM Abdulla Aripov received him at the airport.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and Defence Minister Khwaja Asif are also accompanying him.

Shortly after arriving, the prime minister visited Khizr Complex and paid his respects at the mausoleum of Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov.

One of his important meetings was with Russian President. Vladimir Putin said that pipeline gas supplies to Pakistan were possible, revealing that necessary infrastructures were already in place, according to state-owned news agency RIA.

On the sidelines of the SCO summit, Shehbaz met several world leaders including Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi. The two leaders acknowledged moving forward positive trajectory of bilateral relations.

The prime minister also met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

Earlier in the day, the premier held a meeting with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and discussed issues of mutual interest.

The meeting focused on strengthening Pak-Uzbek ties in diverse fields for the benefit of the two brotherly nations.

The PM also met President of Tajikistan Emamoli Rahmon. Both leaders agreed to bolster and expand the scope of mutually beneficial fraternal ties.

Shehbaz thanked Tajikistan for its support to the flood affectees in Pakistan and shared details of the devastation caused by the massive floods, induced by climate change.

Furthermore, he underlined the importance of regular meetings on bilateral institutional mechanisms and the establishment of mutually beneficial cooperation in the implementation of energy projects.

The premier is scheduled to meet other world leaders including Turkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, Foreign Office Spokesman Asim Iftikhar told Shehbaz had no plans to meet his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

Prior to his departure, PM Shehbaz took to Twitter to share his views on the SCO summit.

“The global economic turbulence has necessitated the need for more cooperation among SCO member countries,” he said, adding that the “SCO vision” represented the aspirations of 40% of the world’s population.

“Pakistan reiterates its commitment to ‘Shanghai Spirit’. Mutual respect and trust can be the bedrock of shared development and prosperity,” he said.

“The SCO has great potential to chart a way forward at a time of deeply worrying transformation in geopolitical and geoeconomic fields,” he concluded.

 “At the forthcoming event, the SCO leaders will deliberate on important global and regional issues, including climate change, food security, energy security, and sustainable supply chains,” according to Radio Pakistan.

They will also approve agreements and documents that would chart the future direction of cooperation among SCO member states.

 

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