Muhammad Ilyas Khan
ZHENGZHOUS, China Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Tuesday urged the SCO members to join forces and develop comprehensive strategies to collectively confront the challenges of extremism and terrorism.
“The security situation around us remains precarious. We are seeing the threat to state sovereignty and territorial integrity. Armed conflicts continue to rage in several parts of the world unleashing forces, which are beyond the control of anyone,” he said while speaking at the 14th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of Government meeting, here in the capital of the central Henan province of China.
The 14th SCO meeting focuses on cooperation in economy, trade, transport, people-to-people exchanges and to promote regional cooperation and to enhance linkages.
The Prime Minister said militant ideologies needed to be countered, adding that terrorism remained a serious threat and in fact become even more insidious. He said the SCO has a special role to play in promoting peace and regional stability.
As a member of the SCO family and in accordance with the Shanghai spirit, “we have to identify common values. Our diversity can serve as a positive force, to promote harmony and advance avenues of win-win cooperation and shared prosperity,” the prime minister said.
The Prime Minister said the SCO partnership could extend to infrastructure and energy cooperation, development of natural resources and working together for a more democratic, accountable, transparent and just international order, adding that SCO Development Strategy 2025 envision these goals.
He said that Pakistan shared the perspective that connectivity and development were critical to progress, prosperity and security in the region.
He said that Pakistan supported the one belt and one road initiative of President XI Jinping and remained committed to making China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPEC) Project a resounding success.
With its unique geo-strategic location and at the confluence of South, West and Central Asia and excellent relations with all SCO members, the prime minister said, Pakistan was ready to play its role in developing these linkages and looks forward to join the efforts of all members states of the SCO organization, as a full member.
Source: APP
