ISLAMABAD: Goa, India, will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on May 4-5. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Pakistan’s foreign minister, will attend. Russia and China are two of the SCO’s eight political and security members. FM will attend the SCO moot at the invitation of the current chair, Indian Minister for External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, according to a statement released by the Foreign Office.
“Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO charter and processes as well as the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” the FO spokesperson added.
According to sources within the Civil Aviation Authority, a chartered flight will transport the foreign minister and a delegation from Karachi to Goa.
The people with knowledge of the development claimed that the PCCA was approached by the Indian civil aviation authority after they decided on the special plane’s itinerary.
The council will conclude the agenda and decisions that will be approved by the 17th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting set to take place in New Delhi on the 3–4 July 2023, as well as discuss and sign some institutional papers.
During the meeting, memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be signed with Bahrain, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, and the United Arab Emirates to become Dialogue Partners of SCO.
FM Bilawal will also meet with his counterparts in friendly nations outside of the SCO.
China, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India are SCO members in addition to Pakistan.
The main goals of the SCO are to strengthen regional peace, security, and stability, foster mutual trust and good neighborly relations among member states, and establish a framework for effective cooperation in the areas of politics, trade and economy, culture, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection, etc.
Pakistan has actively and constructively contributed to all SCO operations since joining in 2017 in order to realize the organization’s multi-sectoral goals and objectives in a way that benefits both parties.
No meeting with Modi was requested:
Last week, FM Bilawal shot down rumors about his trip to India and made it clear that it shouldn’t be “misconstrued in terms of bilateral ties” between the two neighbors.
When speaking to Geo News, Bilawal claimed that he had not asked for the meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be scheduled.
“We are steadfast in our adherence to the SCO charter, and this visit should not be viewed as a bilateral one but rather within the framework of the SCO. Our attendance at the conference shows Pakistan’s ongoing support for the SCO charter and process as well as the value the country places on the region when setting its foreign policy goals, according to Bilawal.
On his first trip to India, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrived in Goa on Thursday, hoping for a “successful” meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The foreign minister stated in a statement to the media shortly after arriving in Goa, “I am pleased that I have arrived here in Goa to attend the SCO summit. I sincerely hope the SCO CFM is a success.
At the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, which will take place in Goa on May 4-5, Bilawal will serve as the head of the delegation representing his nation.
In a tweet before departing Karachi for India, Bilawal underlined Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to the SCO charter.
In a brief video message, he stated, “My visit [to India] illustrates how much Pakistan gives importance to SCO and how seriously it takes the SCO membership.”
The foreign minister expressed enthusiasm for his upcoming bilateral interactions with the nations that make up the global forum.
I anticipate having fruitful conversations with my counterparts from friendly nations during my tour, which is solely focused on the SCO, Bilawal said on the microblogging website.
Qureshi and Fawad disagree over Bilawal’s visit to India and Pakistan:
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the foreign minister in the Imran Khan-led government, thought that Bilawal’s trip to India was “perfectly fine.”
Speaking to the media in front of the Islamabad High Court, Qureshi stated, “Pakistan is a member of SCO, which is an important platform.
He suggested that Pakistan use this forum to promote regional growth.
However, taking issue with the foreign minister’s trip, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhary used Twitter to “strongly condemn” the news, saying the FO should have chosen to attend the meeting via video link rather than traveling to India.
“Strongly criticize the FM’s visit to Goa; participation may have been captured on camera, but the issue is that you people, in your adoration for Modi, are willing to overlook the atrocities committed by Modi Janta in Kashmir and the struggles faced by Muslims in India and other minorities in order to please Modi Janta. According to all definitions, Pakistani foreign policy is dead, the PTI leader tweeted.
FM Bilawal establishes trust with politicians:
A day earlier, the foreign minister discussed his maiden trip to India with coalition allies and the leader of Jamat-e-Islami (JI).
Bilawal called the leaders of the National Party (NP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, and the JI Ameer Sirajul Haq.
Over the course of his two days in Goa, he talked with them.
SCO gathering;
The FM is attending the SCO moot at the invitation of the current chair, Indian Minister for External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar, according to a statement released by the Foreign Office.
The FO spokeswoman had stated that Pakistan’s attendance at the summit “reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities.”
According to sources within the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the foreign minister would go on a chartered airplane from Karachi to Goa with a delegation.
According to individuals with knowledge of the development, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCCA) was called by the Indian civil aviation authorities to finalize the special plane’s itinerary.
In addition to finalizing the agenda and decisions to be adopted by the 17th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting set to take place in New Delhi on July 3–4, 2023, the council will discuss significant regional and international issues and sign various institutional instruments.
The signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Bahrain, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, and the United Arab Emirates to become SCO Dialogue Partners will also take place during the meeting.
FM Bilawal will also meet with his counterparts from friendly nations outside of the SCO.
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and India are SCO members in addition to Pakistan.
Promoting mutual trust and good neighborly relations among member states, bolstering regional peace, security, and stability, and developing a framework for effective cooperation in areas such as politics, trade and economy, culture, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, tourism, and environmental protection are just a few of the SCO’s main goals. Since joining the organization in 2017, Pakistan has been actively and constructively contributing to all SOC initiatives.
