Islamabad (Web Desk): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed world dignitaries to the dinner for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) first day on Tuesday.
The SCO, established by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on June 15, 2001, is a permanent intergovernmental international organization aimed at strengthening multisphere cooperation, promoting peace and security, and new economic international order.
Pakistan joined the SCO in 2017 and since then Islamabad worked consistently and constructively to strengthen good neighbourly relations and remained committed to the purposes and principles of the SCO Charter and the values of the Shanghai Spirit.
The supreme decision-making body of the SCO is the Council of Heads of States (CHS) which meets annually and decides upon all the important issues of the Organization.
The Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is the second highest forum within the SCO, with a primary focus on fostering cooperation among member states in socio-economic, trade, and financial sectors.
Besides, Mongolia is participating in the summit as an Observer State being represented by Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai and Turkmenistan as Special Guest represented by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Rashid Meredov.
Among other dignitaries attending the moot include SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Director of Executive Committee SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Ruslan Mirzayev, Chairman of the Board of SCO Business Council Atif Ikram Shaikh and Chairman of the Council of SCO Interbank Union Marat Yelibayev.
The Council meets once a year to discuss the strategy of multilateral cooperation and priority areas within the Organization, determine fundamental and topical issues in economic and other spheres, and approve the budget of the SCO.
The previous meeting of the SCO CHG was held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023 wherein Pakistan had also assumed the rotating Chair of SCO CHG from 2023 to 2024.