ISLAMABAD – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar met with Nurlan Yermekbayev, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), in Islamabad to discuss regional cooperation and Pakistan’s upcoming leadership roles within the bloc.
The meeting serves as a diplomatic precursor to Pakistan’s transition into a primary leadership role within the organization, which focuses on security, economic cooperation, and regional stability across Eurasia. Established in 2001, the SCO brings together major Eurasian states under a shared charter that sets out its decision-making structures, including the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government, and the Council of Foreign Ministers, which collectively provide the core governance framework for the organization.
The two officials held an exchange on the current priorities of the SCO, specifically identifying areas where Member States can intensify collaboration and better align national policies with decisions taken at the bloc’s top councils.
Connectivity and Economic Cooperation
The discussions centered on strengthening ties among Member States through focused initiatives in several key sectors that are central to the SCO agenda and Pakistan’s own policy priorities:
- Economy, including trade facilitation and investment flows across Eurasian markets
- Transport, with an emphasis on cross-border infrastructure and transit corridors
- Connectivity, notably digital links and energy routes that can deepen regional integration
Senator Dar reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advancing the objectives of the SCO, stressing that Islamabad views the platform as a key forum for coordinating regional responses on economic resilience and interconnected supply chains. The two sides also exchanged views on broader regional and international developments, including how multilateral mechanisms can support states in managing shared security and development challenges.
Pakistan’s Leadership Timeline
The meeting highlighted Pakistan’s upcoming responsibilities in governing the organization’s highest decision-making bodies, underscoring a period in which Islamabad will have greater influence over agenda-setting and consensus-building within the bloc. Senator Dar expressed a readiness to work closely with all Member States to facilitate this transition and to ensure continuity in ongoing initiatives.
The established timeline for Pakistan’s leadership includes:
- 2025: Hosting of the SCO Summit, bringing heads of state and government to Pakistan to review implementation of SCO decisions and adopt new directives
- September 2026: Assumption of the Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State, positioning Pakistan to guide strategic deliberations on security, connectivity, and economic coordination
During the session, Secretary-General Yermekbayev commended the contributions Pakistan has made toward promoting stability, cooperation, and peace within the region, noting in particular Islamabad’s role in advancing dialogue on regional connectivity and counterterrorism cooperation.
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Organizational Efficiency and Next Steps
Yermekbayev presented proposals intended to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the SCO’s operations, including steps to streamline the implementation of summit decisions and improve coordination among permanent and rotating chairs of its key councils. These measures are aimed at ensuring that political commitments translate more quickly into concrete projects across member states.
As part of the immediate diplomatic calendar, the Secretary-General briefed the Deputy Prime Minister on the preparations for the upcoming SCO Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting scheduled to take place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. That meeting is expected to review progress on ongoing initiatives and refine the agenda for the next summit, giving Pakistan, as an incoming host and future chair, an opportunity to align its own priorities with the broader SCO work program and with parallel connectivity efforts across Eurasia, including major regional transport and energy corridors such as those linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
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