Pakistan Foreign Affairs Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday he is leading his country’s delegation at the Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Goa. “I’m travelling to Goa to serve as the delegation’s leader for Pakistan at the CFM for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.” My choice to attend this conference demonstrates Pakistan’s steadfast adherence to the SCO charter, Bilawal tweeted in a video on Thursday.
“I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries during my visit, which is focused solely on the SCO,” Zardari added.
On the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Pakistani leader is present at the SCO summit.
After a lull of over 12 years, Zardari will be the first foreign minister to visit India. In 2011, Hina Rabbani Khar, who was then Pakistan’s foreign minister, visited India.
The Pakistan High Commission in India today tweeted: “FM @BBhuttoZardari departs from Karachi to participate in the #SCO Council of Foreign Ministers.”
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokeswoman for the Pakistan Foreign Office, said: “Our participation at the meeting reflects Pakistan’s continued commitment to the SCO charter and process and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities.”
Earlier today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived at Goa’s Dabolim airport to attend the two-day-long SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
Lavrov, who was accompanied by a delegation, is scheduled to hold a bilateral with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.