ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar had a rare encounter at a dinner hosted for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders in Islamabad. This exchange between the leaders of the arch-rival neighbours is quite significant, especially given the almost decade-long gap since India’s Foreign Minister last visited Pakistan.
The dinner was part of the SCO summit, which brought together prominent leaders from member states, including China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and others. The event provided a platform for diplomatic engagement and dialogue among the participating nations.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conducted bilateral meetings with leaders from several countries who were in Islamabad to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government Meeting (CHG). Shehbaz Sharif met leaders from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus.
Earlier, at a meeting with his Tajik counterpart, Qohir Rasulzoda, he deeply appreciated Tajikistan’s active and constructive participation in the SCO meeting. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed that as brotherly countries and regional partners, Tajikistan and Pakistan share enduring bonds of friendship and cooperation. He fondly recalled his productive visit to Dushanbe in July and expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of the bilateral relationship. He underscored that both countries should continue to collaborate closely and further cement the mutually advantageous cooperation across all spheres of shared interest, particularly in trade, investment, energy and regional connectivity.
Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda conveyed warm felicitations on the organisation of the SCO meeting. While extending the best wishes of Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon to the prime minister, he concurred that there is great potential to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries. The Tajik prime minister also thanked the prime minister and the Government of Pakistan for allowing sugar export to Tajikistan which will further enhance the bilateral trade among both countries.
Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Welcoming the participation of Turkmenistan as a special guest in the meeting, the prime minister emphasized the importance of Pakistan’s long-standing, historical and fraternal relations with Turkmenistan. Expressing good wishes to the Turkmen leadership, Shehbaz Sharif emphasised the need to increase high-level exchanges between the two countries. He emphasised the importance of working together to maximize bilateral cooperation, especially in trade, energy and regional connectivity.
Rashid Meredov congratulated Pakistan on the successful holding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of Government Meeting and conveyed good wishes to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on behalf of the Turkmen leadership. He reiterated Turkmenistan’s unwavering resolve to make Pakistan-Turkmenistan relations stronger and closer.
Shehbaz Sharif also met with Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to work with all SCO countries in advancing SCO’s principles and purposes.
In this regard, the prime minister recalled his visit to Astana in July earlier this year for the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting and appreciated Kazakhstan’s contributions to strengthening cooperation among SCO countries. Noting the warm and excellent bilateral relations between the two countries, the prime minister emphasized the need to enhance trade and investment, while also focusing on regional connectivity and security
Bektenov congratulated Shehbaz on the successful organization of the SCO Summit in Pakistan and lauded Pakistan’s positive role as the SCO Chair. He reiterated Kazakhstan’s firm resolve to work closely with Pakistan, both as part of SCO and bilaterally, to enhance regional connectivity, trade and development. He further said that Kazakhstan saw Pakistan as a leading trade partner in South Asia. Both sides agreed to jointly work to realize the true trade potential between the two countries.
In another meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Akylbek Japarov, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic thanked the Kyrgyz Republic’s positive and active participation in the SCO CHG Meeting and appreciated Kyrgyz Republic’s support and extended to Pakistan as the SCO Chair
Shehbaz Sharif conveyed Pakistan’s strong desire to further strengthen cooperation with Kyrgyz Republic and stressed the need to enhance new avenues of collaboration in the areas of trade, investment, people-to-people contacts and regional connectivity.
The Kyrgyz leader congratulated the prime minister on the successful organization of the SCO CHG Meeting, as well as the excellent arrangements made for the visiting delegations. He thanked Pakistan for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and the accompanying delegation.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also held a meeting with the Belarusian Prime Minister, Roman Golovchenko and welcomed Belarus’ participation in the SCO Meeting. He also felicitated Belarus on becoming SCO’s full member and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to working closely with Belarus in fostering the “Shanghai Spirit”.
Recalling his warm and productive meeting with President Aleksandr Lukashenko in Astana in July earlier this year, the prime minister stated that regular high-level exchanges had imparted a positive momentum to the cordial ties between the two countries, which needed to be sustained to realize the full potential of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, agricultural machinery and joint production of tractors and connectivity. Golovchenko warmly congratulated Pakistan on the successful conduct of the SCO CHG Meeting and its positive outcomes.
He thanked Pakistan for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation. Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko assured that Belarus would closely collaborate with Pakistan, in its capacity as SCO CHG Chair, to promote the organization’s purposes, principles and priorities.
In a related development, Roman Golovchenko, prime minister of the Republic of Belarus, met COAS General Asim Munir. During the meeting, discussions were held on regional dynamics and enhancement of bilateral security and defence cooperation between the two nations, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
The COAS reaffirmed Pakistan’s appreciation for Belarus’s contributions to global and regional affairs and expressed the desire to further strengthen the military partnership between both countries.
Golovchenko commended the Pakistan armed forces for their pivotal role in promoting regional peace and stability and acknowledged their professionalism and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism.
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