External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday to participate in the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), according to a statement by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Jaishankar was welcomed at Nur Khan Airbase by Ilyas Mehmood Nizami, the Director General for South Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statement noted that the reception highlighted the importance of the event, with children in traditional attire presenting bouquets to the dignitaries, and a red carpet rolled out for their arrival.

The two-day SCO CHG meeting, one of the top forums within the SCO, will be chaired by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pakistan currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the CHG for 2023-24, having assumed the position at the previous meeting in Bishkek on October 26, 2023. At that time, the country was represented by interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.

In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar said, “Landed in Islamabad to take part in the SCO Council of Heads of Government Meeting.”

The summit will officially commence on Wednesday in Islamabad under heightened security measures. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the discussions will primarily focus on the trade and economic agenda of the organization.

“The 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) will be held on 16 October 2024 in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Pakistan. The SCO CHG meeting is held annually and focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation,” the MEA release stated.

Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the summit, underscoring India’s continued engagement with the SCO framework. “India remains actively engaged in the SCO format, including various mechanisms and initiatives within the SCO framework,” the MEA statement added.

(Inputs from ANI)