PM meets SCO official, assures full support to the organisation

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has assured Pakistan’s full support in the fulfillment of purposes and objectives of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) under his stewardship.

He hoped that all SCO members would continue to work together for building peace, enhancing international solidarity and cooperation.

The prime minister was talking to Secretary General of the SCO Ambassador Zhang Ming who called on him, said an official statement.

The prime minister also reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to the principles of SCO Charter and the ‘Shanghai Spirit.’ He highlighted the current global challenges manifested in the high fuel and food prices and the resultant food insecurity as well as economic and financial difficulties for a large number of countries, including the SCO members.

Appreciatingthecomprehensivedevelopment agenda of SCO, the prime minister emphasized that the core purpose of the Organisation remained the growth and prosperity of SCO region and how well the SCO leaders were responding to the aspirations and ambitions of their people to have beter standards of living.

He underlined Pakistan’s priorities and national development goals as well as important areas of interest within the SCO framework of cooperation including trade and economy, connectivity & transport, poverty alleviation, energy, agriculture and food security, climate change, security, information technology, digitalisation and cultural and people-topeople linkages.

Sharif underlined the need for developing appropriate funding mechanisms to promote intra-sco trade as well as development initiatives. Stressing on the enhancement of transport and communication links, the prime minister underscored the importance of connectivity agenda and, in this regard, also highlighted that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) could serve as a useful model in its facilitation.

The prime minister also shared his perspective on a number of specific regional and global security issues as well as SCO’S role in promoting stability in the region and beyond.