–Pakistani delegation meets Russian foreign minister, welcomes cooperation between SCO, UN, regional bodies
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged United Nations (UN) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to focus on the centrality of the UN Charter and work jointly for common goals of peace, security and development.
The organisations were called upon following the Shanghai Spirit which emphasised mutual trust, benefit, equality, respect for cultural diversity and shared development.
The views were expressed by Pakistan’s National Coordinator for SCO Mr Zahoor Ahmed while addressing the participants of a consultative meeting on the international activities of the SCO held in Moscow on Thursday.
Pakistan delegation attended the meeting at the level of deputy foreign ministers on the initiative of the Russian Federation.
The meeting was chaired by Igor Morgulov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. It was attended by representatives of Russia, Pakistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as SCO secretary general.
Pakistan’s delegation was led by Zahoor Ahmed while Ambassador to the Russian Federation Khalilullah Qazi also attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed SCO’s cooperation with UN bodies and regional organisations as well as observer states and dialogue partners. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also addressed the meeting.
The meeting emphasised the need for closer cooperation among the member states on international and regional issues of common interest.
Pakistan welcomed the growing cooperation between SCO, UN bodies and other regional organisations. The delegation stressed on the centrality of the UN Charter and the need to work jointly for common goals of peace, security and development following the Shanghai Spirit which emphasises mutual trust, benefit, equality, respect for cultural diversity and shared development.
Addressing the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that their task now is to reinforce the SCO’s strategic role in supporting the objective process of the development of a polycentric world based on equal and indivisible security, mutual respect for each other and each other’s interests, as well as commitment to the goals and principles of the UN Charter and international law.
“This is the spirit of our position on a wide range of international and regional security issues, which our leaders coordinated in Qingdao, China in June this year,” he added.
Lavrov once again expressed his country’s gratitude for supporting Russia’s proposal to hold a special meeting to discuss the SCO’s international activities.
He said given the complicated, multi-directional and contradictory processes in global politics and the economy, the SCO is gaining traction as a dynamically growing international organisation that is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs.
“The consistent strengthening of this trend is facilitated by the new opportunities and prospects created by the admission of India and Pakistan to the organisation,” he concluded.
Pakistan joined the SCO as a full member in June 2017 and has been playing a positive and constructive role in the organisation. Pakistan attaches great value to SCO as an important organisation for enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation in the region.
