Pakistan on Thursday stated that it’s but to determine on India’s invite to Overseas Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to attend a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Goa from Could.
“Pakistan and India are members of SCO. India is holding the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2022-2023. These invites are being processed as per customary procedures and a call might be taken in the end,” stated Pakistan’s Overseas Affairs Ministry spokesperson.
India has invited Pakistan’s overseas minister to the Shanghai Cooperation Group (SCO) assembly scheduled to happen on Could 4-5, 2023 in Goa.
SCO is a crucial transregional group that goals to strengthen financial linkages and cooperation amongst its Member States in several fields. Yearly, SCO develops a calendar of actions, which embody the Assembly of the Overseas Ministers,” added the spokesperson.
India has formally despatched invites to all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Group (SCO) together with Pakistan and China for the upcoming overseas ministers’ assembly which might be held in Goa from Could 4-5.
The invitation contains invitations to the brand new Overseas Minister of China Qin Gang and Pakistani Overseas Minister Bilawal Bhutto.
India took over the chairmanship of the 9-member mega grouping in September final yr and might be holding key ministerial conferences and the summit this yr.
Relations between the 2 international locations have been precarious for a few years with regard to problems with cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, whilst Islamabad has been in search of the restoration of Article 370 for the previous Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir for any talks.
Moreover, FM Bilawal’s remarks on the United Nations (UN) final month on PM Modi have forged a shadow over any enchancment in ties between the 2 international locations.
The 20-year-old group has Russia, India, China, Pakistan, and 4 central Asian international locations – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as its members.
Iran is the most recent nation to turn out to be a member and underneath Indian Presidency will for the primary time attend the grouping’s assembly as a full-fledged member.
The final assembly of the Shanghai Cooperation Group was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Samarkand in Uzbekistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Group Summit. The twenty second Assembly of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO is the primary in-person summit since 2019.
Notably, this yr’s SCO overseas ministers assembly comes within the wake-up of escalating Russia-Ukraine warfare and India’s G20 Presidency.