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Abstract

Text of the statement by the Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, Goa; 5 May 2023.

Chairman of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, Dr S. Jaishankar,

Excellencies, Foreign Ministers of SCO Member States,

Secretary General of SCO,

Director, Executive Committee of SCO-RATS,

Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

Assalam-o-alaikum, peace be with you, and Good Morning!

It is an honour for me to represent Pakistan today at the SCO-CFM. Pakistan considers the SCO a key regional platform comprising countries, which are bound together by longstanding historical, cultural, civilizational and geographical ties. There couldn’t be a more powerful indication of the importance that Pakistan attaches to the SCO than my presence here in Goa for this CFM.

Pakistan strongly believes in and fully adheres to the principles of mutual trust, equality, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of shared development enshrined in the original “Shanghai Spirit.”

These principles are in perfect alignment with Pakistan’s own vision of enhanced regional economic connectivity and win-win cooperation. We believe the SCO could be a key platform for taking this vision of Eurasian connectivity to the next level. Pakistan’s location at the crossroads of South Asia and the Middle East makes it an ideal trade conduit for the whole region.

Last year’s Samarkand Declaration made a timely call for building efficient transport corridors and reliable supply chains in the region. Investing in our collective connectivity capacities is crucial to advancing our shared vision for an economically integrated region. In that spirit, Pakistan looks forward to hosting the “Conference on Transport Connectivity for Regional Prosperity” in September 2023.