EAM Jaishankar, Pakistan PM Sharif shake hands ahead of 23rd SCO summit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared a cordial moment, shaking hands and exchanging greetings before a dinner hosted by him ahead of the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Earlier that day, Jaishankar landed in Islamabad to attend the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where he was warmly received at Nur Khan Airbase by Ilyas Mehmood Nizami, Director General (South Asia) of Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Children dressed in traditional attire presented bouquets of flowers to the foreign dignitaries.

A red carpet was rolled out to welcome the guests, underscoring the importance of the event and the cordial relations between the two nations, as per the statement.

The two-day meeting of SCO CHG, the second highest forum within the SCO, will be chaired by Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the current chair of the Council, the statement further said.

As per the statement, Pakistan had assumed the rotating chair of the SCO CHG for 2023-24 at the previous meeting held in Bishkek on October 26, 2023, where the country was represented by then interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani.

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

The 23rd SCO CHG is all set to kick off on Wednesday in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, with top-notch security measures in place.

The Ministry of External Affairs said that the meeting will focus on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation.

Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the 23rd Meeting of the SCO.