Pakistan calls for establishment of SCO alternative development funding mechanism

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed the hope that the 23rd meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will bring in the wonderful outcomes for the benefit of regional economies and uplifting its people.

The prime minister, who chaired the meeting as current chair of the Council, in his opening remarks, welcomed the guests to Islamabad and said the summit manifested the collective voice and wishes of over 40 percent of world population.

He said that the presence of the SCO leaders also evidenced their collective spirit of promoting cooperation, sustainable development and regional prosperity. He said the 23rd SCO CHG was the testament to the strength of ties among the SCO member states and the collaboration among the diverse nations.

The prime minister said that the SCO countries had immense potential to ensure development, regional peace and stability as well as improving the lives of their people.

He also called for using the summit to exchange ideas and share best practices to promote economic cooperation for the betterment of their societies.

He said this meeting is another testament to the strength of our ties and collaboration among the diverse nations. He emphasized that SCO has the potential to drive socio-economic progress, enhance regional peace and stability and to improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Shehbaz called upon the SCO members to work together for a well-connected, integrated and prosperous region. He said that Pakistan supports all SCO connectivity initiatives. He underscored the importance of the establishment of a robust SCO connectivity framework which should not merely boost regional trade but also advance the vision of connected Euro-Asia.

He said that projects such as Belt and Road Initiative and the International North South Transport Corridor should be expanded focusing on developing road, rail and digital infrastructure. He said we should not look at such projects through the narrow political prism and invest in our collective connectivity capacities which are crucial to advancing the shared vision of an economically integrated region.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan welcomes the decisions to ensure and endorse the strategy for the development of energy cooperation 2030 and the establishment of Association of Investors. He said Pakistan stands ready to play its part in realizing the lofty ambitions.

Highlighting the importance of a stable Afghanistan, he said it is not only desirable but essential to fully realizing the great opportunities. He urged the international community to step forward with urgent humanitarian support for Afghanistan. He also called upon Afghan interim government to ensure that their soil is not misused for terrorism against its neighbours by any entity.

Shehbaz called for closer collaboration for poverty alleviation in the SCO region. He said the member countries should continue to provide the required impetus to collective efforts to address the root causes of poverty and uplift the quality of life for our peoples.

Touching upon the threat posed by climate change, Shehbaz Sharif said that this existential crisis transcends borders. He pointed out that Pakistan is on the frontline of climate induced disasters.

Referring to the devastation caused by 2022 floods in Pakistan, the Prime Minister called for prioritizing environmental cooperation within the SCO to build resilience and secure a sustainable future for generations to come. He said Pakistan welcomes the recent SCO agreement on environmental protection and calls upon all member states to actively engage in both regional and global environmental efforts. He said Pakistan looks forward to organizing simulation exercises with SCO partners to bolster disaster preparedness across the region.

Talking about financial challenges, Shehbaz Sharif said reforming the global financial architecture and trade regimes is essential to fostering development.

He said Pakistan supports the establishment of an SCO alternative development funding mechanism, which could provide the impetus needed for the revival of stalled development projects. He also welcomed the timely decision by the SCO Council of Heads of States to establish financial support mechanism for project implementation within the SCO framework.

The Prime Minister further urged the SCO states to encourage their private sectors to cultivate an environment that is conducive to do business and investment within the SCO region.

He commended Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry for its collaborative efforts with SCO Ministers in Islamabad, facilitating productive dialogues that strengthen economic ties. He said such initiatives must be nurtured to deepen economic cooperation and drive regional prosperity.

PM’s concluding remarks

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday told the leaders of the SCO countries that the international community should fulfill its responsibility of ensuring an unconditional and immediate ceasefire leading to the establishment of an independent state of Palestine.

“Let me say that we cannot ignore the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The international community bears the responsibility of ensuring an immediate and unconditional ceasefire leading to the establishment of State of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders with Al Quds as its capital,” the prime minister said in his concluding remarks at the 23rd meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) chaired by him.

The prime minister said that the SCO meeting highlighted the commitment of the member states for a better and sustainable future for the next generations.

He congratulated Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on assuming the chairmanship of the Council and announced that the next CHG meeting would be held in Russia next year.

The prime minister also assured the Russian prime minister of Pakistan’s fullest support and reiterated unwavering commitment to SCO goals and objectives.

He urged the member states to prioritise the collaboration over the political differences and collaborate to address the shared challenges and work hand-in-hand to ensure that SCO remained the beacon of stability and development for the mutual benefit for the people in the region.

Before concluding the two-day meeting, he also thanked the participating countries for their commitment and support to ensure the smooth conduct of the meeting.

The event was attended by the leaders from the SCO member states including China’s Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of Ministers’ Cabinet Zhaparov Akylbek, Trade Minister of Iran Seyyed Mohammad Atabek, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Besides, Mongolia is participating in the summit as an Observer State being represented by Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai and Turkmenistan as a Special Guest represented by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Rashid Meredov.

Among other dignitaries attending the moot include SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Director of Executive Committee SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Ruslan Mirzayev, Chairman of the Board of SCO Business Council Atif Ikram Shaikh and Chairman of the Council of SCO Interbank Union Marat Yelibayev.

SCO welcome ceremony

The formal proceedings of the 23rd meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG) of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) started in Islamabad on Wednesday with a galaxy of regional leaders in attendance to discuss multisectoral cooperation.

Being held at the Jinnah Convention Center, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the session as the current chair of the Council and formally opened the summit with an address.

The CHG meeting will discuss ongoing cooperation in economy, trade, environment, and socio-cultural linkages. The participating leaders will also adopt important organizational decisions to further enhance cooperation among SCO member states and approve the budget of the Organization.

Before the start of the proceedings, Prime Minister Shehbaz warmly received the participating leaders at the venue before posing for a group photo.

The leaders from the SCO member states attending the summit include China’s Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of Ministers’ Cabinet Zhaparov Akylbek, Trade Minister of Iran Seyyed Mohammad Atabek, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Besides, Mongolia is participating in the summit as an Observer State being represented by Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai and Turkmenistan as a Special Guest represented by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Rashid Meredov.

Among other dignitaries attending the moot include SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Director of Executive Committee SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Ruslan Mirzayev, Chairman of the Board of SCO Business Council Atif Ikram Shaikh and Chairman of the Council of SCO Interbank Union Marat Yelibayev.

Having joined the SCO in 2017, Pakistan assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 at its previous meeting held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hosted a dinner in honour of dignitaries from various states attending the SCO summit. According to the media reports, right before the SCO dinner, footage from the venue showed PM Shehbaz welcoming and shaking hands with dignitaries, including India’s Jaishankar, with whom he also briefly conversed.

The foreign dignitaries landed in Islamabad to participate in the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the SCO. The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus—with 16 more countries affiliated. 

Pakistan became a full member of the SCO at its 2017 summit in Kazakhstan, which was attended by ex-PM Nawaz Sharif. As the current Chair of the Council of the Heads of Government (CHG), Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the summit.

Islamabad is beautifully decorated. Pictures of heads of state and national flags of SCO members adorn the city, with large screens installed for the event.

The Red Zone has been sealed, and military personnel have been deployed at entry and exit points. Vehicles are allowed access to Margalla Road after thorough checks, while heavy transport is restricted in Rawalpindi. Metro bus services will remain suspended for three days.