Indian FM Jaishankar hails Pakistan’s ‘hospitality, courtesies’ during SCO summit

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar and the Government of Pakistan for the “hospitality and courtesies” during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit hosted by Islamabad.

“Departing from Islamabad. Thank PM @CMShehbaz, DPM & FM @MIshaqDar50 and the Government of Pakistan for the hospitality and courtesies,” wrote Jaishankar on X (formerly Twitter), as he returned to his country after attending the two-day SCO summit in Islamabad.

The event was also attended by the leaders from the SCO member states including China’s Premier of the State Council Li Qiang, Prime Minister of Belarus Roman Golovchenko, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Tajik Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda, Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of Ministers’ Cabinet Zhaparov Akylbek, and Trade Minister of Iran Seyyed Mohammad Atabek.

Jaishankar is the first foreign minister of the neighbouring nation to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade. His visit, however, was purely centred on the SCO summit, as he did not hold any bilateral talks.

In his previous tweet, the Indian FM outlined the eight takeaways from the Indian perspective.

• Developing a dialogue on the idea of One Earth, One Family, One Future.

• Outcomes of initiatives like SCO Startup Forum, SWG on Startups and Innovation and Traditional Medicine welcomed by SCO members.

• DPI & Digital Inclusion becoming part of SCO cooperation framework.

• SCO taking inspiration from Mission Life to achieve UNSDGs.

• Enhancing global food security and nutrition through promoting the use of climate-resilient and nutritious grains such as millet.

• Upholding fair and balanced connectivity projects by international law, the goals and principles of the UN Charter and SCO Charter.

• Reemphasising rules-based, non-discriminatory, open, fair, inclusive and transparent multilateral trading system with WTO at its core.

• Opposing protectionist actions, unilateral sanctions, and trade restrictions that undermine the multilateral trading system and impede global sustainable development.

The Indian external affairs minister also extended best wishes to Russia as it takes over the SCO CHG Presidency.