Pakistan’s foreign minister to attend SCO government leaders’ meeting in Tajikistan
By The South Asia Times
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will lead the country’s delegation to a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 19–20, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Dar is visiting at the invitation of Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda, according to the ministry.
The meeting will bring together senior representatives from SCO member states, including the prime ministers of Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Iran will be represented by its vice president, while India’s external affairs minister will attend, the ministry said.
The Council of Heads of Government is the SCO’s second-highest decision-making body. It provides guidance on economic and financial cooperation, trade, connectivity, commerce, socioeconomic development and the organisation’s budget.
The meeting is expected to adopt a joint communiqué, statements and other decisions, the ministry added.
During his visit, Dar is also scheduled to meet Tajikistan’s president and prime minister, as well as hold bilateral talks with counterparts from SCO member states on the sidelines of the meeting.
Founded in 2001, the SCO is a regional organisation focused on cooperation in areas including security, economic development and connectivity. Its members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran and several Central Asian countries.
The Dushanbe meeting provides an opportunity for member states to discuss shared economic priorities and strengthen regional cooperation amid evolving political and security dynamics across Eurasia.
