Pakistan’s presence in Shanghai Co-operation Organization to boost regional security: China

Pakistan’s presence in Shanghai Co-operation Organization to boost regional security: China

by INP

Pakistan's presence in the Shanghai Co-operation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan, beginning on Thursday will be a source of strength to boost regional peace and security. Pakistan is going to become a full member of the SCO and it is most encouraging that India will also have the same position. Both the countries could work together on their common agenda rooting out terrorism and develop friendly co-operative partnership to promote socio-economic interest of their people, reports Chinese media. 

Pakistan has received world wide appreciation in the recent years for its commitment and sacrifices to maintain peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart's Narendra Modi will be attending the summit and they could avail the opportunity to reduce their bilateral tension.

According to analysts, the China-led SCO was readily gaining high importance and creditability in playing neutral and effective role in developing mutually beneficial co-operative partnership among the member States. SCO has become a most viable platform for the member countries to serve the cause of peace and to work for a win-win situation addressing their respective socio-economic challenges.

China always supports the resolution of bilateral disputes through negotiation and mutual consultation. Time and again it has urged the two countries to find out negotiated settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Avoiding confrontation is not only in their, own interest, but it could help to advance the efforts of peace and security at the wider scale. The upcoming SCO's summit is highly significant in the background of the Belt and Road's initiative that was a major regional connectivity plan to achieve common goals of economic development and prosperity. The SCO service as a big hope for a better future, the analysis's added.

According to the China's Daily, President Xi Jinping's upcoming trip to Kazakhstan, beginning on Wednesday, is expected to bring more outcomes of co-operation on jointly building the China-proposed Belt and Road. During the four-day trip, he will also attend the 17th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO and the opening ceremony of Astana Expo 2017, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

The wide support from the international community for the Belt and Road Initiative was highlighted by the successful Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation, held last month in Beijing. The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, proposed by Xi in 2013, aim to boost interconnectivity and free trade between Asia and the rest of the world through reviving the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Kazakhstan witnessed the initiative's origination when Xi, in a speech in September 2013 at Nazarbayev University in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, proposed building the Silk Road Economic Belt. Last month, Xi and Nazarbayev met in Beijing on the sidelines of the Belt and Road forum.

It will be Xi's third state visit to the western neighbour. Xi and Nazarbayev have met with each other 15 times in recent years. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Kazakhstan has played a positive role in working with China to implement the initiative. In 2014, the two countries signed documents to enhance co-operation under the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt. Xi and Nazarbayev have expressed willingness many times during their meetings to connect Kazakhstan's "Bright Road" economic policies with the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi, in his keynote speech at the opening of the Beijing forum, said, "We have enhanced co-ordination with the policy initiatives of relevant countries, such as the Eurasian Economic Union of Russia, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, the Bright Road initiative of Kazakhstan."