Visit of the Secretary General of SCO H.E. Mr. Rashid Alimov to Pakistan

February 06,2018

Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) H.E. Mr. Rashid Alimov visited Pakistan from 5-6 February, 2018. This marks the first visit of SCO Secretary General after Pakistan’s full membership in SCO. The SCO Secretary General called on the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Minister for Communications, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and the Foreign Secretary.
In his meeting with the Secretary General, the Foreign Minister thanked him for facilitating Pakistan’s bid for SCO membership. He said that Pakistan shares deep rooted historical and cultural links with the Member States of SCO. Its membership creates an opportunity for connectivity of critical overland routes for trade and energy in the SCO region.
Pakistan looks forward to forging further stronger political and economic relations with the SCO Member States. The integration of CPEC with the 6 SCO land routes holds enormous potential for mutually beneficial regional cooperation.
The Foreign Minister and the Secretary General discussed wide ranging issues of mutual interest including connectivity, security and development, culture, energy and transport were discussed during the meetings. They observed that SCO has emerged as a cross regional and cross continental organization and has assumed a multifaceted role in the world politics.
Secretary General appreciated Pakistan’s commitment to the charter and objectives of SCO. He added that the inclusion of Pakistan has further enhanced SCO’s potential and complements its vision of economic integration.
SCO provides a useful forum for promotion of peace and stability. The Secretary General appreciated Pakistan’s support in combating the Three Evils of Terrorism, Extremism and Separatism.
Appreciating Pakistan’s enormous contributions and sacrifices in the global fight against terrorism the Secretary General stated that SCO can learn from its successful experience in combating terrorism, narcotics and drugs. He said that Pakistan is a strong country with big economy and offers enormous prospects to SCO in the areas of transport and energy connectivity.
SCO works on the principles of mutual trust, equality, respect for cultural diversity and shared development. The organization strives to promote effective cooperation in the areas of political, security, trade, economy and social sectors. SCO Regional Anti Terrorist Structure (RATS) aims to contribute towards regional peace, security and stability.
The visit of SCO’s Secretary General highlights the importance Pakistan attaches to the Organization.