BEIJING: A solemn ceremony of raising national flags of Pakistan and India, the newly admitted SCO states, was held at SCO headquarters in Beijing on Thursday, June 15, 2017. Welcoming the guests, SCO Secretary General Rashid Alimov said that on June 9, in Astana, Kazakhstan, leaders of the founding states of SCO made a historic decision to accept Pakistan and India as full- fledged members of the SCO, and from today, eight members will be united by the “Shanghai Spirit”. The national flag of Pakistan was raised to the tune of
The national flag of Pakistan was raised to the tune of the national anthem followed by an address delivered by Masood Khalid, Ambassador of Pakistan to China. He termed June 9 as a historic day symbolising the start of a new journey for Pakistan and pledged to work for a shared vision of common development. Thanking the six founding members of SCO, Secretary General of SCO.
Thanking the six founding members of SCO, Secretary General of SCO, the government of Kazakhstan and the Chinese government, the ambassador said that we shall work together to harness the SCO potential for enhancing regional security, connectivity, economic integration and people-to-people exchanges. The national flag of India was raised after Ambassador of India to China delivered a speech. The ceremony was concluded with the “Shanghai Spirit Drum” being hit by Ambassadors of Pakistan and India and a group photo.
