Islamabad | Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday held separate meetings with leaders of various SCO member states on the sidelines of the summit, exchanging ideas to promote bilateral ties and strengthen the intergovernmental international organisation.
Pakistan is hosting the two-day SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) summit on October 15 and 16. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus — with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
According to official statements, Sharif held separate meetings with Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda, and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov, discussing ways to further strengthen bilateral relations.
During his meeting with Golovchenko, Sharif emphasised the importance of sustained exchanges to unlock the potential for cooperation, particularly in trade, investment, agricultural machinery, joint tractor production, and connectivity.
Golovchenko congratulated Pakistan on the successful organisation of the SCO meeting and lauded its positive outcomes. He expressed satisfaction over the direction of Belarus-Pakistan relations and affirmed Belarus' commitment to strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation in areas of shared interest. He also assured that Belarus would closely collaborate with Pakistan in its capacity as SCO Chair.
In his meeting with Tajik Prime Minister Rasulzoda, Prime Minister Sharif underlined the significance of close bilateral collaboration and expressed appreciation for Tajikistan's constructive participation in the SCO meeting.
Rasulzoda conveyed warm congratulations on the successful organization of the summit and reiterated Tajikistan's commitment to further enhancing ties with Pakistan. He thanked Pakistan for allowing sugar exports to Tajikistan, which would boost bilateral trade.
In his meeting with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Japarov, Sharif expressed satisfaction over the positive trajectory of relations between Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. Japarov congratulated Pakistan on the successful SCO summit and reaffirmed Kyrgyzstan's desire to enhance bilateral cooperation.