All attention is on the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) taking place today in Pakistan, where regional leaders have gathered for a two-day summit.
Delegates from the member countries have arrived in the capital, which is adorned with vibrant lights, floral arrangements, and flags representing SCO nations to warmly greet the dignitaries.
Read more: Chinese Premier Li Qiang Arrives in Islamabad for Historic SCO Summit
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is chairing the SCO CHG meeting, which serves as the organization’s second-highest forum. Pakistan assumed the rotating chairmanship for the 2023-24 term during the previous meeting held in Bishkek in October 2023.
Attending the summit are leaders including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Belarus Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of the Ministers Cabinet Zhaparov Akylbek, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
As discussions begin, the summit aims to enhance cooperation and collaboration among member states to tackle regional challenges.
Security forces on high alert in ‘fortified’ Islamabad
The SCO summit is occurring under heightened security measures, resulting in the closure of many businesses and routes in Islamabad and its twin city, Rawalpindi, due to safety concerns.
