ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to virtually participate in the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State (SHO-CHS) today. According to the Foreign Office, the premier was invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is chairing the meeting. The meeting will be attended by leaders from all eight SCO member states and four observer states - including Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The United Nations Secretary-General and the Secretary-General of SCO will also be present. "SCO is an important forum for further enriching our deep-rooted historical and cultural links with member states, providing these ties a sound economic foundation, and promoting Pakistan as a regional trade and transit corridor," said the FO. "Since becoming a member in 2017," the foreign office continued, "Pakistan has been actively contributing to the promotion of SCO’s multi-sectoral agenda through participation in various SCO mechanisms." Highest forum at the SCO, the SCO-CHS adopts documents and decisions that provide policy guidelines for determining priorities and major areas of activities of the organization. The 20th SCO-CHS will adopt 16 documents including the ‘Moscow Declaration’ reflecting member states’ stance on important regional and international issues. Besides Pakistan, SCO’s current membership comprises China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. “SCO’s major objectives include promoting mutual confidence and good-neighborly relations among member states, strengthening regional peace, security, and stability, and creating a framework for effective cooperation in political, cultural, trade and economy, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection, and other fields."
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