PM Khan arrives in Bishkek to attend two-day SCO summit

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to attend the 19th meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on June 13, 2019 – (Photo PM Office)

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan holds his tasbih, while having tea on a plane on his way to a campaign rally ahead of general elections in Sialkot, Pakistan, July 12, 2018. (REUTERS – File)

• Originally an observer, Pakistan become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2107
• Indian PM Modi also attending summit but no bilateral with Khan planned

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, to attend the 19th meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Prime Minister Office said on Thursday.
PM Khan was received by Mukhammedkalyi Abylgaziev, Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan and Kyrgyz Minister for Health Kosmosbek Sarievich Cholponbaev.
The Council of Heads of State is the highest forum of the SCO which set the strategy, prospects and priorities of the body.
The SCO was founded in Shanghai in 2001 by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia and China. It evolved from an earlier regional security grouping formed in 1996 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the Central Asian states gained independence.
India and Pakistan, originally observers, became full members in 2017 at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. Iran, Afghanistan, Mongolia and Belarus have observer status.
“The Prime Minister [Imran Khan] will address two sessions of the [Council of Heads of State] Meeting,” the foreign office statement said. “A number of decisions will be approved by the Leaders, besides signing of Agreements to intensify cooperation in diverse fields. The Prime Minister will have bilateral interaction with other participating Leaders on the sidelines.”
Though Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also attend the summit, a bilateral meeting has not been scheduled between him and Khan.
“SCO’s multi-sectoral cooperation agenda is in line with the Government of Pakistan’s policy of promoting regional peace and stability and seeking enhanced linkages in infrastructure, economic, trade and cultural spheres,” the foreign office said. “Pakistan offers critical overland route for trade and energy and supports SCO’s efforts for regional integration through linking CPEC [China Pakistan Economic Corridor] with the 6 land routes of SCO.”
When it was first formed, the SCO focused on regional security and confidence-building, including border conflicts, terrorism, and militant Islam. The body’s activities have since expanded to cover cooperation in economics and trade, transportation and law enforcement. Security and economic cooperation remain priorities.