ISLAMABAD – All eyes are on 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Pakistan today, as regional leaders arrive in Asian nation for a two-day summit.
Delegates from participating countries arrived in the capital, decked with colorful lights, floral decorations, and flags representing SCO member states to warmly welcome the dignitaries.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is chairing the SCO CHG meeting, which is the second-highest forum within the organization. Pakistan took on the rotating chairmanship for the 2023-24 term during the previous meeting held in Bishkek in October 2023.
Leaders attending the summit include 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 commence, the summit aims to strengthen cooperation and collaboration among member states in addressing regional challenges.
Security forces on high alert in ‘fortified’ Islamabad
SCO summit event is taking place amid heightened security measures, leading to the closure of numerous businesses and routes in Islamabad and its twin city, Rawalpindi, due to safety concerns.
SCO Summit: Pakistan’s capital fortified as global dignitaries fly in
