The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit took place from October 15-16 in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the participation of senior leaders of member countries, observer countries and "dialogue partners".
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| Host country Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks at the opening session of the SCO at the Jinnah Convention Center, Islamabad, October 16. (Source: PID) |
Despite facing violence and political instability, Islamabad, as host and rotating chair of the SCO, has made every effort to ensure security for the event.
Opening in turmoil
Ahead of the SCO Summit, host Pakistan faces security challenges posed by protest groups, separatists and dissidents. In particular, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan launched a series of protests demanding “independence of the judiciary” while the government is pushing for constitutional amendments. PTI also threatened to hold large protests in the heart of Islamabad, where the SCO Summit will take place, in an attempt to “disgrace” the government of Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif.
Not only in the capital, separatist groups in Balochistan province bordering Iran regularly attack Chinese citizens working on projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The recent attack by separatists on a convoy of Chinese engineers in the port city of Karachi, which left two people dead, has added to the already worrying security situation ahead of the summit. Observers say this is the perfect time for separatists to cause unrest and draw international attention.
The “firsts”
Despite the complicated security situation in Pakistan, representatives of 10 member countries, including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Iran, India attended along with representatives from 16 associate countries, observers or “dialogue partners”. The highlight was the presence of Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
This is the first visit by a senior Indian official to Pakistan in nearly nine years. Premier Li Qiang’s attendance is particularly significant, being the first by the head of government of China, Pakistan’s “all-weather” partner, in 11 years.
During the visit, the two sides reviewed security-related issues and the progress of CPEC implementation, and inaugurated a Chinese-funded international airport in Gwadar, Balochistan province, which houses a strategic deep-water port that Islamabad has leased to Beijing for 99 years. CPEC is currently the most important leg of China's BRI in South Asia, with over $50 billion in investments and loan commitments in CPEC.
This SCO summit also marked the first appearance of the Iranian delegation led by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref. This is an important opportunity for Islamabad to promote cooperation with Tehran to resolve emerging issues in the region, especially the recent tensions between Iran and Israel. Notably, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin led the Russian delegation, while the Mongolian Prime Minister also attended as an observer.
Cooperation in Disagreement
The SCO Islamabad Summit focused on discussing many areas, from economics - trade, environment, regional security, culture - society with the expectation of reaching consensus to further strengthen connectivity and cooperation among members. In his opening speech, host Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif affirmed that the SCO is a "beacon of multilateralism", believing that "it has not only the potential but also the will to create a more prosperous and secure future for its people".
The Pakistani Prime Minister called for a framework within the SCO to promote trade and vision of an interconnected Eurasia. He also called for expanding key projects such as the BRI, CPEC and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to enhance integration and cooperation across the region. However, the remaining differences among SCO members pose challenges and obstacles in reaching consensus on many pressing issues such as the Middle East “hotspots”, the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, regional security and global issues.
The SCO Summit is the first large-scale multilateral event hosted by Pakistan in many years and at a time of escalating political and security instability. Despite facing security and economic issues, the Summit is an opportunity for Pakistan to enhance its diplomatic profile and portray itself as an active participant in multilateral forums.
At the same time, bilateral events on the sidelines of the Summit helped Pakistan strengthen economic cooperation with Russia, China and Central Asian countries.
Premier Li Qiang’s attendance helps China strengthen its ties with Central Asian countries and boost Beijing’s role in regional issues. Currently, China is playing an active role in resolving hot spots such as the Hamas-Israel conflict and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
For the SCO, in the context of the international and regional environment facing unprecedented challenges, this economic and security bloc is expected to have more practical cooperation results, a place for member countries to continue to promote the "Shanghai Spirit", promote cohesion to contribute more to peace, stability and development of the region.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/thuong-dinh-sco-tim-on-dinh-trong-bat-dinh-290432.html
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