Karachi: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering support and commitment to fostering cooperation in critical and practical areas in Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) region including enhancing connectivity and transport links, youth empowerment, investment in key sectors with high regional potential, such as agriculture, mining, minerals, energy and information technology.

According to reports reaching here he said during Pakistan’s Chair of Council of Heads of Government (CHG) Pakistan will also continue to strengthen cooperation in fields of education and poverty alleviation.

Addressing meeting of SCO Council of Heads of Government in Bishkek, he said as succeeding Chair of Council, Pakistan would continue to support existing mechanisms and welcome new initiatives.

Council is second-highest body within SCO and focuses on issues related to economy, finance, trade and socio-economic collaboration.

Jilani said SCO was key platform for taking vision of Eurasian connectivity to next level. Pakistan’s location at crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and Middle East makes it an ideal trade conduit.

He informed that Pakistan planned to host Conference on Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity to ensure an economically integrated region.

He highlighted that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was force multiplier for regional connectivity. “Lack of connectivity is an impediment to regional trade, investment and development. CPEC does not only connect Pakistan to its neighbour China but also offers all SCO member states chance to invest in our shared future and full regional economic integration.”

SCO Business Council and SCO Interbank Association can play vital role in fostering economic and commercial cooperation among SCO member states, through strengthening interaction among entrepreneurs and promoting people-to-people contact, he said.

“To advance these objectives and bolster connections among businessmen and industrialists from SCO member states, Pakistan proposes to host SCO Businessmen Conference,” he added.

He said regardless of varied stages of economic development, all SCO member states were still faced with challenges related to poverty and food security.

“We can overcome these challenges through common efforts and by learning from each other’s experiences,” he added. “We are confident that under Pakistan’s permanent chairmanship of Special Working Group on Poverty Alleviation, significant impetus can be provided to our collective endeavours aimed at improving living standards of our people”, he remarked.

As incoming Chair of CHG, he said Pakistan’s aim would be to make organisation more action-oriented. In pursuit of this goal, we eagerly anticipate collaboration and support of SCO Secretariat and our esteemed member states in devising robust implementation and monitoring mechanism. Mechanism could serve as an instrumental tool for tracking progress across a diverse array of socio-economic sectors, he added.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 27 2023

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