SCO 2023: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif to attend virtual summit on 4 July
1 min read 30 Jun 2023, 05:11 PM ISTIn May, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India will host the annual summit of the SCO in the virtual format on 4 July, as it assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit on September 16, 2022.
PremiumPakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will take part in a virtual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on 4 July after his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi invited him, Pakistan's foreign ministry announced on Friday.
Sharif’s participation in the SCO summit illustrates the high importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO, which is an important forum for regional security and prosperity, and enhanced engagement with the region, the official statement said.
"Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the 23rd Meeting of SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) being held in video conference format on 4th July 2023," PTI quoted the official statement.
"The invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the SCO-CHS was extended by the Prime Minister of India in his capacity as the current Chair of the SCO," the statement said.
As per details, this year apart from deliberating on important global and regional issues, the leaders will also chart the future direction of cooperation among SCO Member States. Also, the SCO CHS will welcome Iran as a new member of the organization this year.
Founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, both India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017.
In May, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India will host the annual summit of the SCO in the virtual format on 4 July, as it assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO at the Samarkand Summit on September 16, 2022.
With agency inputs.
