INDIA, GOA: In his address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Friday, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged nations not to “get caught up in weaponizing terrorism for diplomatic point-scoring.”
The foreign minister, who is in India for two days, stated that “the collective security of our peoples is our joint responsibility.”
FM @BhuttoZardari urged to collectively eradicate the menace of terrorism
💬" Let’s not get caught up in weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring"#PakFMatSCO pic.twitter.com/H5awOoQDF5
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 5, 2023
He also highlighted the importance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
“A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is a key not only to regional integration and economic cooperation but also to global peace and stability,” he added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted the FM saying that “unilateral and illegal measures by states in violation of international law and Security Council resolutions run counter to the SCO objectives”.
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Bilawal also stressed the importance of enhanced cooperation and regional integration. “When great powers play [the] role of peacemaker, we can unlock [the] potential of peace while paving [the] way for greater cooperation, regional integration and economic opportunities for our peoples,” he added.
The foreign minister reiterated Pakistan’s strong commitment to the SCO, saying that “there couldn’t be a more powerful indication of the importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO than my presence here in Goa for this Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM)” meeting.
He also emphasised SCO’s role in improving regional connectivity, saying it “could be a key platform for taking the vision of Eurasian connectivity to the next level.”
FM Bilawal also addressed the region’s climate challenges, stating that “the climate crisis poses an existential threat to humanity.”
“Pakistan has emerged as an important voice in the global discourse on Climate Change in the aftermath of that natural calamity,” the FM added.
He further called for closer cooperation for poverty alleviation.
“There is a very strong and compelling case for closer cooperation for poverty alleviation under SCO. The establishment of the Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation proposed by Pakistan will be a step in that direction,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the Foreign Office (FO) shared a picture of FM Bilawal with his Indian counterpart S Jaishnakar.
FM @BBhuttoZardari has arrived to attend the #SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. #PakFMatSCO pic.twitter.com/4feRMUa9uc
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 5, 2023
Bilawal had arrived in the Indian coastal resort of Goa the day before to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. Senior officials from India’s External Affairs Ministry met the foreign minister at the airport.
The foreign minister is accompanied by the foreign secretary and other senior officials on a visit that raises hopes for an unlikely thaw in the two countries’ relationship.
China, Russia, Pakistan, India, and key Central Asian states are members of the SCO. India, the bloc’s current chair, is hosting a number of events, including the CFM.
Normally, the SCO-CFM receives little attention, but not this year
