Pakistan is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad this October and plans to invite all member countries, including India, to attend in person, according to the foreign office spokesperson’s announcement on Thursday.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, established in 2001 by China and Russia, is a significant Eurasian organization focusing on political, economic, international security, and defense issues. It spans about 80 percent of Eurasia and represents 40 percent of the global population, making it the largest regional organization by geographic coverage and population.
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Pakistan became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in June 2017 after holding observer status from 2005 to 2017. Highlighting the importance of 2024 for Pakistan-SCO relations, the spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, noted that Pakistan currently chairs the Shanghai Cooperation OrganizationCouncil of Heads of Government, the organization’s second-highest decision-making body. The upcoming meeting will follow a series of ministerial discussions and high-level talks among Shanghai Cooperation Organizationmember states, focusing on financial, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation.
Baloch emphasized that the meeting would adhere to SCO protocols, including the in-person participation of heads of government. She stated that Pakistan, as the host, would extend invitations to all SCO member states’ heads of government, expressing optimism that the conference would facilitate discussions on trade, investment, and economic connectivity.
India, Pakistan’s nuclear-armed neighbor and fellow SCO member, has a history of strained relations with Pakistan, including multiple conflicts since both countries gained independence in 1947. India notably boycotted the 2016 summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) scheduled to be held in Islamabad.
