Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will lead the Pakistan delegation to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) being held on 4-5 May 2023 in Goa, India next month, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zehra Baloch made the announcement today during her weekly press briefing.
The FO said that the foreign minister is attending the SCO CFM meeting at the invitation of the current Chair of SCO CFM, Dr S Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India.
Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also attended the last meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers held in July last year in Tashkent.
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman represented Pakistan at the 4th SCO Meeting of Heads of Ministries on Environmental Protection. The meeting was held online in New Delhi on 18th April 2023.
The spokesperson stated that the National Disaster Management Authority director virtually attended the SCO Expert Meeting of Heads of Agencies for Prevention and Elimination of Emergency Situations while today Muhammad Idrees Mahsud, Member Disaster Risk Reduction, is virtually participating in an SCO meeting.
The SCO comprises Pakistan, China, India, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, as well as Central Asian countries with whom Pakistan has recently been strengthening foreign ties — namely Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
FM Bilawal to attend SCO meeting in India next month: FO
