Daily Times

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday met his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov here on the sidelines of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers being held in Goa, India.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest. Foreign Minister Bilawal assured to work closely for further deepening cooperation in food security, energy and people-to-people contacts. He said that the SCO opened new vistas of cooperation and coordination with Russia. Meanwhile, Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Zhang Ming called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday and discussed matters of mutual interest.

During the meeting held on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Goa, India, Bilawal Bhutto briefed Secretary General on the activities of SCO in pursuance of vision of SCO leadership.

The Secretary General thanked the foreign minister for Pakistan’s consistent support to SCO and appreciated its constructive contributions towards strengthening regional cooperation, connectivity, peace and prosperity.

FM Bilawal reached Goa earlier in the day, primarily to attend the SCO’s Council of Foreign Ministers meeting.

In a video message on Twitter, Bilawal – the first foreign minister of Pakistan to head to India in over a decade – confirmed that he had reached Goa. “Salaam, from Goa India,” he said. Bilawal said that he would first hold meetings with his counterparts from Russia and Uzbekistan, which will be followed by a formal dinner for all the foreign ministers at the SCO.

“I will give one or two interviews and that is the programme for today,” he added. Speaking to the media upon his arrival, the foreign minister said he was “happy” to be arriving in Goa for the SCO. He said that he expected the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be “successful”.

Ahead of his departure, Bilawal said he was looking forward to “engaging bilaterally” countries that were part of the SCO.

“On my way to Goa, India. Will be leading the Pakistan delegation at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of SCO,” he said on Twitter.

“During my visit, which is focused exclusively on the SCO, I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries,” he said.

In a video message alongside his tweet, the foreign minister also stated that he was looking forward to “engaging bilaterally” with countries that were part of the organisation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan’s decision to attend the SCO meet reflected the country’s commitment to the organisation’s charter and multilateralism. “We are committed to playing our part to advance our shared values of peace and stability in the region. We are all for win-win understandings based on connectivity, trade and mutually advantageous cooperation,” he said.