QINGDAO, China: President Mamnoon Hussain has reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Charter and the Shanghai Spirit.
In his address at the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of States (CHS) of SCO Member States held in the Chinese City of Qingdao on June 9-10, 2018, the president thanked Member States, the SCO Secretary General and the Director of Executive Committee of RATS for their valuable contribution towards Pakistan’s successful assimilation in the organization.
The president also commended the dynamic Chinese chairmanship under which SCO had made considerable progress. He said that Pakistan was a natural and logical partner of SCO as it shares deep rooted historical and cultural links with its members.
Highlighting importance of intra SCO connectivity and economic integration, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s desire to act as a conduit between Eurasia, China, Central and South Asia and, offered Pakistan-SCO Trade, Transit and Energy Corridor, through its territory.
In this regard, he reiterated Pakistan’s offer to connect China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to the six main road corridors of SCO. Pakistan had been actively supporting SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS).
Sharing SCO’s concern over drug trafficking President stressed the need of a comprehensive effort to counter Narcotics and illicit drugs in the region and its neighborhood under the ambit of SCO.
President Mamnoon also underscored Pakistan’s commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan through an Afghan led, Afghan owned process of peace and reconciliation, He welcomed President Ashraf Ghani’s initiatives towards this end.
On the sidelines of the SCO Summit, Mamnoon Hussain held bilateral meetings with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He also interacted with other SCO leaders.
The SCO Council of the Heads of State, which convenes annually, is the highest decision-making forum of the organization. It reviews performance of the organization and its bodies and makes fundamental decisions about future course of action. China has held chairmanship of the Council since the last Summit in Astana in June 2017, which will now pass on to Kyrgyzstan.
The Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired the meeting on June 10, 2018 which was participated by the Heads of State of SCO Member States which, besides President Mamnoon Hussain, included the presidents of Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and prime minister of India.
The leaders of four Observer States of SCO; Presidents of Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia also participated in the meeting.
The Heads of State held a ‘restricted format’ meeting of the leaders of member states in the morning followed by a plenary session. The leaders exchanged views on contemporary regional and global issues. They agreed to further enhance cooperation and mutual trust to realize the maximum potential offered by the organization. The Heads of State reiterated their commitment to the Charter of SCO and to the “Shanghai Spirit” which includes mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development.
The Summit witnessed signing of over 20 documents outlining future SCO trajectory in a number of spheres. Besides the Qingdao Declaration these included: Action Plan on implementing the provisions of Treaty on Long-term Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation; Cooperation Plan on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism; Anti-Drug Strategy and its Plan of Action, Concept on Preventing the Abuse of Narcotic Drugs; Declaration on Trade Facilitation; Vision on Environment Protection; and Joint Appeal of Heads of State on the necessity to prevent involvement of youth in activities of destructive nature and Action Plan.
Besides cooperation Agreements/MOUs in various fields such as cooperation on countering threats of Epidemics; MOU on stimulating cooperation in the SMEs, and cooperation in Customs related fields were signed. An MOU for cooperation between SCO and UNESCO was also signed at the occasion.
The Council confirmed appointment of the new Secretary General of SCO Mr. N.V.Imamovich and the Executive Director of SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Mr. Mr. G. D.Fayozovichnew.
