Islamabad [Pakistan], July 31 (ANI): Pakistan has indicated that it will extend an invitation to India for the 2027 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, saying it is obligated to invite all member states in its capacity as the host of the summit.
The remarks were made by Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi during the weekly media briefing on Thursday when asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be invited to the SCO Summit, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in 2027.
Responding to the question, Andrabi said all SCO member states would receive invitations in accordance with the organisation’s procedures.
“As regards the SCO Summit, yes, all member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be invited at the level of the Heads of State or Government, should they wish to attend at the level of the Head of Government. So yes, invitations will obviously be extended, and this is an obligation on the part of Pakistan as the host,” Andrabi said.
He added that Pakistan would invite all Heads of State and Government to the summit.
“We will invite all Heads of State and Government to the Summit meeting. The SCO Summit takes place at the level of the President,” he said.
The spokesperson further noted that Presidents and Prime Ministers participate interchangeably in SCO summits and meetings of Heads of Government.
“The Presidents and Prime Ministers do participate interchangeably in these Summits and Heads of Government meetings. So, our invitation will be extended as per SCO procedures,” Andrabi added.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) comprises ten member states spanning nearly 36 million square kilometres and is home to more than 3.4 billion people. Collectively, the bloc accounts for around 25 per cent of global GDP and over 15 per cent of world trade. The organisation seeks to strengthen long-term ties of good neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation among its members across areas of mutual interest, guided by the principles and norms of international law.
It currently has 10 member states–Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The organisation also includes two observer states, Afghanistan and Mongolia, along with 15 dialogue partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Egypt, Kuwait, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. (ANI)
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