ASTANA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday highlighted the latest challenges and contemporary realities, including the trend of reversing globalization, and emphasized the need for regional connectivity and economic interdependence.
He pointed out that regional peace is intrinsically linked to a stable and peaceful Afghanistan. Shehbaz stressed that Afghanistan should not be used as a base for exporting terrorism to other parts of the world. He urged the interim Afghan government to ensure that no terrorist entities operate from its soil against any other country.
Addressing the 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State (SCO Summit) in Astana, Kazakhstan, Shehbaz stated that terrorism and extremism must be combated with comprehensive measures and condemned divisive politics and incitement to hate.
The summit, held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, marked the induction of Belarus as the 10th member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Founded in 2001, the SCO initially included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Pakistan and India joined in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023.
Originally focused on settling territorial disputes, the SCO has evolved to address regional security, economic development, and other issues. The organization holds significant potential to influence international affairs, with China being the world’s second-largest economy and India currently the fastest-growing major economy. Additionally, China and India are the two most populous countries, with hundreds of millions of people residing in other member states.
In this context, Shehbaz emphasized the need to rise above geopolitics and work towards poverty alleviation to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for billions of people. Highlighting the importance of economic cooperation, he cited the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a model for regional connectivity and an example of making the SCO more effective.
Shehbaz noted that CPEC is a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), initiated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and suggested that it could be instrumental in enhancing SCO connectivity. He also proposed that member states promote the use of their currencies to shield themselves from the shocks caused by the dollar in currency markets.
His remarks were particularly relevant given Pakistan’s current economic crisis, primarily driven by rupee devaluation, which has created a challenging economic cycle.
Furthermore, Shehbaz highlighted the threat of climate change, noting that Pakistan is among the most vulnerable countries. He called for coordinated efforts to mitigate the disastrous effects of global warming and save the planet.
