PM Abbasi leaves for Russia today to attend SCO summit

PM, along with other SCO counterparts will participate in the SCO retreat being hosted by Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev


News Desk November 30, 2017
14th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Prime Ministers' Meeting, in Zhengzhou, China earlier this year. PHOTO: FILE

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi leaves for Russia today to represent Pakistan at a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit beginning in Sochi today.

It is the first SCO Heads of Government meeting that Pakistan will attend after assumption of full membership of the organisation in June this year, Radio Pakistan reported.

Historic day: Pakistan joins SCO at Astana summit

The meeting is mandated to focus on the strategy, prospects and priorities for SCO’s developmental cooperation.

The prime minister along with his other SCO counterparts will participate in the SCO retreat being hosted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

The retreat will be followed by a plenary session of the Council of Heads of Government where the prime minister will deliver a statement.

Strategic implications of SCO

PM Abbasi is expected to outline Pakistan’s commitment to SCO’s objectives, including fighting terrorism and extremism and its sincere interest in regional peace, stability and development.

The prime minister will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

Pakistan, along with India, in June became full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev made an announcement in this regard after signing of documents by the founding members – including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping – at the conclusion of 17th SCO summit.

Pakistan has been an observer with the SCO since 2005 and applied for its full membership in 2010. The decision, in principle, to give membership to Pakistan was taken by the SCO Heads of States meeting held in Ufa, Russia, in 2015.

The SCO was founded at a Summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Pakistan, India and Iran were admitted as observers at the 2005 Astana Summit.

COMMENTS (1)

BrainBro | 6 years ago | Reply Should have sent a Lt. General. The civilian PM holds no authority, only photo sessions.
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