ISLAMABAD, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed optimism that the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) would yield significant benefits for regional economies and enhance the well-being of its people.
As the current chair of the Council, the prime minister presided over the meeting, welcoming delegates to Islamabad. In his opening address, he emphasized that the summit reflected the shared aspirations of over 40 percent of the global population. He also noted that the presence of SCO leaders underscored their commitment to fostering cooperation, sustainable development, and regional prosperity.
Sharif highlighted that the 23rd SCO CHG meeting symbolized the strength of the relationships among member states and their collaboration across diverse nations. He expressed confidence in the SCO countries’ potential to advance development, promote peace and stability, and improve the quality of life for their citizens.
The prime minister urged the participants to use the summit as an opportunity to exchange ideas and share best practices to boost economic cooperation for the collective benefit of their societies.
Earlier, Prime Minister Sharif personally welcomed the attending leaders at the venue and participated in a group photo with them.
The leaders in attendance included China’s Premier Li Qiang, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of Ministers’ Cabinet Akylbek Zhaparov, Iran’s Trade Minister Seyyed Mohammad Atabek, and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Additionally, Mongolia participated in the summit as an Observer State, represented by Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai, while Turkmenistan joined as a Special Guest, with Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Rashid Meredov representing the country.
