What to expect at two-day SCO summit?

ISLAMABAD: The 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) is all set to kick off today (Tuesday) in the federal capital.

The delegates from members and other invited states had started arriving in Islamabad, where stringent security measures are in place.

The annual meeting of the SCO CHG – the second highest forum within the SCO – will be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the current chair of the Council.

Who’s attending the summit?

The leaders from the SCO member states attending the summit include China’s Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of Ministers’ Cabinet Zhaparov Akylbek, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Besides, Mongolia is participating in the summit as an Observer State being represented by Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai and Turkmenistan as Special Guest represented by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Rashid Meredov.

Among other dignitaries attending the moot include SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming, Director of Executive Committee SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) Ruslan Mirzayev, Chairman of the Board of SCO Business Council Atif Ikram Shaikh and Chairman of the Council of SCO Interbank Union Marat Yelibayev.

Pakistan to sign several MoUs on SCO sidelines

The meetings on sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit have an additional importance for Pakistan with 11 billion dollars MoUs for investment expected with China, Russia and other member states, sources said.

The memorandum of understanding expected to be signed with the IT, agriculture, motorways, ML-I, Azad Pattan and other infrastructure projects, sources said.

Pakistan likely to sign 6.8 billion dollars investment agreement with China for the Main Line-I (ML-I) railway project. The first phase of the ML-I, which will be completed in three phases, costing US$ 2.7 billion.

The second phase of the mega project will be completed with 2.6 bln US$ and 1.4 billion will be spent on the third and final phase of the ML-I railway project.

Another infrastructure project in the line for a likely agreement has been Sukkur to Hyderabad Motorway, costing 400 billion rupees. It is remaining portion of the Karachi to Peshawar motorway project and its completion will enable to travel on motorway all along to Peshawar from Karachi.

Sources said that talks have also been in progress for construction of Thakot to Raikot on the Karakoram Highway. The road project has an estimated cost of US$ one billion.

The signing of US$ two billion cost Azad Pattan project agreement also likely, the 700 megawatt project likely to be completed by 2026.

China and Pakistan will also sign the MoUs of agreements under the CPEC-II phase, sources said.

Pakistan and Russia will hold talks over the railway, energy and infrastructure projects. “Upgradation of Quetta-Taftam railway track, agriculture machinery and equipment will be discussed with Russia”, sources said.

While a tractor manufacturing project will be discussed with Belarus.

The prime ministers of China, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as the vice president of Iran and the external affairs minister of India representing member countries in the SCO summit.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional international organization founded in 2001, aiming to promote economic, political, and security cooperation among its member states. The SCO emphasizes mutual trust, equality, and non-interference in internal affairs, focusing on regional stability and development.