Xi, Sharif to attend SCO summit

Beijing/Islamabad: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend next week’s virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being hosted by India.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Xi will attend via video conference in Beijing, the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads meeting of the SCO on July 4 and deliver important remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a brief press release. This is the first official announcement about Xi’s participation in the SCO summit being hosted by India.

Later answering a question at a media briefing on Xi’s participation, another Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning said besides delivering “important remarks”, the Chinese President together with “other participating leaders, chart the course for the future growth of the organisation.

“With the concerted efforts of all sides, the SCO will achieve greater progress and boost development and prosperity in regional countries,” she said.

In a statement, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said Sharif’s participation in the summit illustrates the high importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO, which is an important forum for regional security and prosperity, and enhanced engagement with the region.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the 23rd Meeting of SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) being held in video conference format on 4th July 2023,” it said.

“The invitation to the Prime Minister to attend the SCO-CHS was extended by the Prime Minister of India in his capacity as the current Chair of the SCO,” the statement said.

At the summit, the leaders will deliberate on important global and regional issues and chart the future direction of cooperation among SCO Member States. This year, the SCO CHS will also welcome Iran as a new member of the organisation, it said. agencies