Russia Ambassador lauds SCO, ‘Council of Heads of Government in Islamabad’

ISLAMABAD, OCT 10 (APP/DNA):Ambassador of Russia to Pakistan, Albert P. Khorev Thursday hailed the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government to be held in Islamabad on October 15-16, 2024.

The Russian Federation, for its part, will continue to steadily work for further consolidation of the SCO by joining efforts with all its member States and enhancing its international standing, Ambassador of Russia to Pakistan, Albert P. Khorev told APP here.

Today, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has become a truly powerful institution, which accounts for over 30% of global GDP and almost half of the world’s population, he said.

The Ambassador said the SCO has great potential for development and the ability to transform itself in the face of rapid global changes.

He said that on July 4th, 2024, the SCO Council of Heads of State approved the first package of measures to comprehensively modernize the organization’s activities about the current geopolitical realities.

It is about strengthening the role of the Association in international affairs, giving additional impetus to the work of the SCO bodies, creating new mechanisms for countering security challenges and threats, and reformatting the algorithm of interaction with the SCO dialogue partners and observers, he said.

“We expect these issues to be at the forefront of the upcoming meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, to be held in Islamabad in less than a week under the chairmanship of Pakistan,” he said.

Russian envoy emphasized the need to find optimal formulas for promoting economic cooperation and coordinating efforts in such promising areas as connectivity, energy and food security, high technology and innovation, digitalization, and artificial intelligence, including through the development of alternative trade and settlement mechanisms beyond the control of Western countries.

It is pertinent to mention, that as one of the active founders, Russia has always taken a leading role in the SCO’s organizational, political, and legal formation, including setting specific trends and forms of cooperation, taking common measures, and holding events.

During its presidency in 2008–2009 and 2014–2015, Moscow made additional efforts to strengthen cooperation among the SCO members in meeting new regional security challenges and to agree on coordinated positions on the key issues on the international and regional agenda.

To increase the SCO’s credibility and political significance, Moscow emphasized its expansion, particularly with regard to the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt.