Today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is leaving for Uzbekistan to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai cooperation Organization (SCO). The Minister stated in the tweet, “the global economic turbulence has necessitated the need for more cooperation among the SCO member countries.”
He also mentioned, “the SCO vision represents the aspirations of 40% of world population.”
Leaving for Uzbekistan today to attend the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO. The global economic turbulence has necessitated the need for more cooperation among the SCO member countries. The SCO vision represents the aspirations of 40% of world population.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) September 15, 2022
Shedding light on the significance of the SCO, PM said, “Pakistan reiterates its commitment to “Shanghai Spirit.” Mutual respect and trust can serve as the foundation for shared development and prosperity. The SCO has enormous potential to design a course ahead at a period of profound geopolitical and geo-economic upheaval.
About Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The SCO is an intergovernmental organization established in June 2001. Since its creation, SCO’s scope and bureaucracy have expanded, thereby making it a multifaceted and multi-lateral institution. The SCO currently comprises eight member states (China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and India). Pakistan was formally admitted as a full member of SCO at the 17th Meeting of the Heads of State Council of SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan on June 9, 2017. Prior to the admission, Pakistan has been an Observer in SCO since 2005. It was the first Observer state to apply for full membership in 2010.
Read more: SCO Summit 2022 and Pakistan
Pakistan’s admission to the SCO is a significant milestone in its foreign policy. Pakistan has historical and cultural linkages with the SCO and its members, as well as strong economic and strategic complementarities. Country’s interests and goals converge in a wide range of domains and issues.
The primary aim of the organization nevertheless remains to build mutual trust and foster multidimensional cooperation among its members, which is defined in SCO’s charter as: “strengthening mutual trust, good neighborliness and friendship among member states; developing effective co-operation in political affairs, economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transport and environmental protection; and working together to maintain regional peace, security and stability”. Since the existence of SCO, many significant developments have taken place.
With a combined population of over 3.3 billion, the SCO member states cover nearly half the human population. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) – the world’s largest regional organization in terms of geographic coverage and population – has evolved into a legitimate forum for the political and economic interaction of its members without direct Western involvement. SCO provides a favorable environment for economic investments and inter-connectivity projects, to enhance trade and commerce activities, attain free flow of goods and capitals.