The Samarkand SCO Summit provided a significant opportunity for Pakistan to present its national, regional, and international perspectives, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In addition to gas, Russia is also prepared to provide wheat to Pakistan as a result of the country’s food shortage caused by devastating floods, according to Khawaja Asif, a federal minister.
According to a news report quoted by the Pakistan State News, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended a press conference in Islamabad and said that Russia promised to send flour to Pakistan in the near future because there might be shortages of food items.
Among other things, the Prime Minister met with the Presidents of China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Turkmenistan on the sidelines of the Summit.
When asked about the dates for PM Shehbaz’s visit to Russia, Khawaja Asif said that the official dates for the trip will be announced soon.
After Putin said that Russian pipeline gas supplies to Pakistan are possible, and that part of the necessary infrastructure is already in place, Asif’s comments are similar.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has also invited Prime Minister Shehbaz – his trip to China is expected in the first week of November, he said.
President Xi stressed the need for stability in Pakistan and promised help for the repair of vital infrastructure damaged by floods at a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz, the Defence Minister said.
According to Asif, PM Shehbaz will travel to the UK on September 19 to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and later on to New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting.
‘The world is ready to help us’
The prime minister told the global leaders that the emissions from the global north have affected 32.5 million Pakistanis and have sparked a food security issue in the country during his SCO visit, said the defence minister.
According to him, after the drainage of flood water, the world will be sympathetic to Pakistan. In the meantime, the world is willing to assist us.
In light of global political and economic transformations, Pakistan wants the strategic direction of the SCO to be in line with its priorities, according to statements made by PM Shehbaz at the SCO summit. On September 16, he ended a visit to Samarkand Uzbekistan and spoke there.
The statement from the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country’s commitment to the SCO’s principles and goals and its ‘Shanghai Spirit’ as a core value were also reaffirmed.
The Prime Minister laid out a compelling case for collective action by the SCO countries to combat the effects of climate change in his statement. He explained how devastating the climate disaster was in Pakistan and how massive the human toll was.
The Prime Minister praised the SCO leaders for their assistance and relief efforts after the floods.
The Samarkand SCO Summit provided a significant opportunity for Pakistan to present its viewpoint on important national, regional and global issues, according to MOFA.
