Pakistani Foreign Minister to Attend SCO Meeting in China

Islamabad, Jul 14 (PTI) – Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, is set to visit China on Monday to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting. The meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the SCO will take place in Tianjin on July 15. Dar received an invitation from his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, to attend this significant diplomatic gathering. In addition to Dar, foreign ministers from other SCO member states, including China, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, are also expected to be present.

The CFM ranks as the third-highest forum within the SCO structure and is pivotal in discussing international relations and the foreign and security policies of the SCO. It is responsible for approving documents, such as declarations and statements, which are prepared for the consideration of the Council of Heads of State (CHS) and the decisions to be adopted by the CHS. As the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, Dar is anticipated to engage in bilateral meetings with his counterparts during the sidelines of the CFM meeting. However, no meeting has been scheduled with the Indian foreign minister, as confirmed by a Foreign Office spokesperson during a regular media briefing on Friday.

The upcoming CHS is scheduled to be held from August 31 to September 1 in Tianjin, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expected to attend. He is likely to seize the opportunity for high-level discussions with top Chinese leaders to bolster bilateral cooperation and review regional developments, such as the May conflict with India.

According to The Express Tribune, citing official sources, the Prime Minister will be accompanied by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, underscoring the significance of the visit. The conflict with India has notably drawn attention to China's military hardware, which comprises 80% of Pakistan's military procurements.

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