Prime Minister Imran Khan held key meetings with presidents of regional countries discussing developments in Afghanistan and the way forward to boost connectivity and regional trade.
The Pakistan PM is in Tajikistan on a two-day (September 16-17) visit to attend the twentieth Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Heads of State Summit in Dushanbe. PM Khan was received by Tajikistan’s Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda at the airport after which they had a meeting to examine the bilateral ties expansions and the regional security situation.
On Thursday, PM Khan held separate meetings with Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi. The focus of the discussion was Afghanistan as well as connectivity on a regional level and the development of SCO for regional collaboration.
PM Khan is accompanied by key ministers including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Commerce Advisor Abdul Razak Dawood, National Security Adviser Dr. Moeed Yusuf Information, Minister Fawad Chaudhry, and Minister for Maritime Affairs Syed Ali Haider Zaidi, accompanied the prime minister khan. This is the third visit of the Prime Minister to Central Asia, stressing Pakistan’s enhanced engagement with the region.
PM Khan’s delegation involved top Pakistani businessmen from numerous sectors including textiles, minerals, pharmaceuticals, and logistics to foster trade and economic linkages with the Central Asian States. On September 16, PM Imran Khan introduced and addressed the Pakistan-Tajikistan Business Forum where he announced new incentives for the business groups in Pakistan. On Thursday PM Khan invited the business community of Tajikistan to invest in Pakistan, assuring them of full-scale assistance by his government.
The visit is significant for Pakistan’s increased regional engagement under the ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy, which aims to connect Pakistan with the Central Asian region. The policy focuses on five key areas: political ties, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defense, and people-to-people contacts.
The SCO is an eight-member economic and security coalition comprising Pakistan, China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. SCO Observer states incorporate Afghanistan, Iran, Belarus, and Mongolia. The SCO likewise has six dialogue partners, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.
