The 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government has officially kicked off at the Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the participating heads of government.

World leaders and delegates started reaching the convention centre and were welcomed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. Prime Minister Sharif also welcomed the SCO secretary general.

The high-profile event sees the participation of leaders from member countries, including China, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Iran’s minister for mines and industries as well as India’s external affairs minister are also representing their respective countries. Moreover, Belarus and Mongolia are participating as observer members.

#WATCH | EAM Dr S Jaishankar, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Mongolian PM Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai and other leaders pose for a group photograph at the 23rd Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government, in Islamabad.

(Source: Host… pic.twitter.com/o68Izx0nXy
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The summit officially began with a group photo session of the dignitaries, followed by Prime Minister Sharif's inaugural address where he presented the national statement, outlining key policy stances.

On the sidelines of the meeting, a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Russian prime minister is expected. The leaders are likely to discuss bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest, strengthening ties between the two countries.

Agenda finalised

Meanwhile, the SCO National Coordinators have finalised the agenda for the summit, as per sources. They said eight to 10 documents will be approved during the meeting related to economic cooperation and trade promotion.

The sources also said that a formal joint declaration will also be issued at the end of the summit that is expected to mention enhancing cooperation on climate change and natural disasters. The issues of e-commerce, digital collaboration, trade and transit will also be covered in the joint statement, they added.

On Tuesday night, the annual dinner ceremony hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in honour of the heads and delegates of member countries attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit commenced with notable significance.

China's Prime Minister Li Qiang was the first to arrive, setting the tone for a gathering aimed at fostering cooperation among member states.

PM Sharif also exchanged a handshake with Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. This rare interaction marked the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly a decade, highlighting the ongoing complexities in diplomatic ties between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.