Pakistan pledges open SCO Chairmanship ahead of 2027 summit

Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday reaffirmed his country's commitment to an open, inclusive and constructive Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Chairmanship, saying it would be guided by the 'Shanghai Spirit' of mutual trust and mutual benefit. He was addressing the National Coordinators of the SCO member states, along with senior representatives of the SCO Secretariat and the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Islamabad.

Dar underlined the theme of Pakistan's Chairmanship, 'Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation, and Shared Prosperity'. He also stressed the need to translate the SCO's shared vision into practical cooperation and tangible outcomes, while highlighting preparations for the SCO Heads of State summit to be held in Pakistan in August 2027.

The Foreign Office said Dar welcomed the National Coordinators to the first meeting of the Council of National Coordinators under Pakistan's Chairmanship. It said he reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to an open, inclusive and constructive Chairmanship, guided by the 'Shanghai Spirit' of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation and common development. He also called for close coordination among member states to ensure a successful Chairmanship.

The three-day deliberations were chaired by Pakistan's National Coordinator Mohammad Faisal and were aimed at firming up cooperation, coordination and preparations for the 2027 summit. The SCO member states are Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and China.

The Indian delegation was led by its National Coordinator Alok Dimri. The visit to Islamabad for the meeting is the first such visit after last year's brief conflict. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had led India's delegation to Islamabad on October 15 and 16, 2024, for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting.

Earlier, the Pakistani foreign ministry had said the September 28 to 30 meeting would discuss 'a wide range of issues relating to SCO cooperation and coordination', including the 'programme of activities under Pakistan's Chairmanship', preparations for upcoming SCO meetings and events, and other matters on the organisation's agenda. The meeting is part of Pakistan's preparations for its SCO Chairmanship and the summit it is due to host in 2027.