The Foreign Office announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to attend the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State (CHS) meeting, which will be held via videoconference on July 4.
The invitation for PM Shehbaz to participate in the SCO-CHS was offered by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who currently serves as the chair of the SCO.
In the upcoming CHS, SCO’s premier forum, leaders will discuss key global and regional matters and determine the next steps for cooperation among SCO member nations. This year’s SCO CHS will officially recognize Iran as a new organisation member.
The Foreign Office further mentioned that PM Shehbaz’s involvement in the CHS signifies Pakistan’s recognition of the SCO as a vital platform for regional security, prosperity, and heightened engagement.
The Chinese foreign ministry stated that President Xi Jinping will also be present and will deliver a speech at the SCO summit on July 4.
The bloc’s defence and foreign ministers attended face-to-face meetings in India earlier this year.
The SCO is a political and security coalition of countries across much of Eurasia, including China, India, and Russia.
Established in 2001 by Russia, China, and the former Soviet states in Central Asia, the group has grown to include India and Pakistan to counter Western influence in the region.
Following the July summit, the SCO presidency will be handed over to Kazakhstan.
