New Delhi [India], October 15 : The 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is set to take place on Wednesday in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.
The Ministry of External Affairs further said that the meeting will focus on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation.
"The 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) will be held on 16 October 2024 in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Pakistan. The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focusses on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation," the MEA stated.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the 23rd Meeting of the SCO.
"India remains actively engaged in the SCO format, including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework," the release said.
The EAM had earlier said that he will not be going to Islamabad to discuss "India-Pakistan relations," but his visit is all about the multilateral event SCO Summit 2024. Jaishankar had also emphasised that he is travelling to Pakistan only to be a "good member of the SCO."
According to a statement from the Pakistan Foreign Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the upcoming CHG meeting.
The Prime Minister of China Li Qiang, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Zhaparov, Prime Minister of Tajikistan Akylbek Zhaparov, and Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, as well as the first Vice President of Iran Mohammad Mokhber be others representing the SCO member states during the summit, ARY News had reported.
The summit will also feature participation from Foreign Ministers and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Turkmenistan as special guests, as well as the Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai as an observer state.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China.
Key goals of the SCO include strengthening mutual trust between the Member States, encouraging cooperation in areas like trade, economy, science and technology, and jointly ensure and maintain peace, security and stability in the region.
Member countries of SCO include countries such as India, Iran, China, Pakistan and Russia. It has various other signficant dialogue partners such as Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Maldives, Myanmar, UAE and Sri Lanka.