ASTANA, Kazakhstan – Today marks the commencement of a two-day summit for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Astana, Kazakhstan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Kazakhstan to represent Pakistan at this significant gathering.
During the summit, Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to deliver an address and engage in bilateral meetings with Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia.
President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin have already arrived in Astana to attend this meeting of SCO member nations, welcomed by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Notably, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be in attendance, with Foreign Minister Jaishankar representing India instead.
The SCO, which spans across a vast region from Moscow to Beijing, represents approximately half of the world’s population. Its member states include this year’s host Kazakhstan, along with India, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran.
Belarus is anticipated to join the SCO this year, following the announcement made during the 2023 virtual summit hosted by India.
According to state news agency Xinhua, “Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Astana on Tuesday for the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and a state visit to Kazakhstan.”
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