SCO Summit: India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has reached Pakistan’s capital Islamabad to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference. He was welcomed by Pakistani officials at Noor Khan Airbase.
This conference is scheduled to be held on 15 and 16 October, in which Jaishankar will spend less than 24 hours. He is also expected to attend the dinner hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Indian Foreign Minister reached Pakistan after 9 years
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has arrived in Pakistan to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference. This is the first time after nine years that an Indian Foreign Minister is visiting Pakistan. Earlier, in December 2015, the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had gone to Pakistan, where she participated in a conference on Afghanistan. However, relations between India and Pakistan remain tense due to the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism.
SCO Summit: What is Shanghai Cooperation Organization
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) began in April 1996, when China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan held a meeting. Its main objective was to reduce racial and religious tensions among themselves, and it was known at that time as the ‘Shanghai Five’.
However, its actual formation took place on 15 June 2001, when China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan established the ‘Shanghai Co-operation Organisation’. After this, emphasis was also laid on removing racial and religious tensions as well as promoting trade and investment.
The primary purpose of establishing the Shanghai Five was to prevent and improve tensions on the borders of China and Russia, especially as tensions were rising between the newly independent countries. This objective was achieved in just three years, making it considered one of the most effective organizations.