Bilawal Bhutto to represent Pakistan at virtual SCO-CHG meeting

Islamabad: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will represent Pakistan at the SCO Council of Heads of Government (SCO-CHG) meeting scheduled to be held in Beijing on Tuesday.

The SCO-CHG will be held in a virtual format owing to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

The CHG will be chaired by the Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Li Keqiang and attended by the heads of government from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The heads of government of SCO observer states, i.e. Belarus, Iran and Mongolia will also attend the meeting.

The Council of Heads of Government is the second highest forum in Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that focuses primarily on the areas of trade, finance, commerce and socio-economic cooperation among SCO Member States.

The SCO’s cardinal objectives include promoting mutual trust and good-neighborly relations among member states, strengthening regional peace, security and stability.

The upcoming CHG meeting will deliberate upon vital regional and global issues of interest, adopt a Joint Communiqué and approve the SCO’s budget for 2023.

It will also discuss a comprehensive matrix for productive cooperation in trade and economy, transportation and connectivity, science & technology, climate change, culture, energy and tourism.

Pakistan attaches great significance to the SCO, an important trans-regional multilateral organization, representing almost half of the world population with over 24 percent of the global GDP.

Pakistan’s membership of SCO reflects our interest for further enhancement of our relations with regional countries, aimed at increasing trade and economic cooperation through enhanced connectivity.

Besides Pakistan, SCO member states include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and India.