ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a series of high-level meetings with Russian and Chinese leadership on Tuesday during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government summit, according to the Foreign Office.
The gathering, hosted under Russia’s rotating presidency, comes at a critical time for Eurasian economic and strategic connectivity. It also follows the landmark Tianjin summit held three months earlier, marking another important checkpoint in regional diplomacy as global power dynamics continue to shift.
During the heads-of-government session in Moscow, Mr. Dar met Russian President Vladimir Putin along with other leaders from SCO member states. In a post shared on X, the Foreign Office said President Putin welcomed the delegates and underscored the organisation’s growing role in fostering regional stability and economic cooperation.
Putin highlighted that the SCO had become a pivotal platform for advancing connectivity and mutually beneficial development across Eurasia a message that resonated strongly with the participating nations.
Mr. Dar also held a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, where both leaders reaffirmed the “all-weather” Pakistan-China strategic partnership. The two sides reviewed progress on bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly within the framework of the SCO, and appreciated the Shanghai Spirit principles that continue to guide regional engagement.
According to the FO, both leaders also exchanged views on major global issues and agreed to maintain close, real-time communication moving forward.
On the sidelines of the summit, Mr. Dar also met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, followed by a separate interaction with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Photographs shared by the FO showed the two foreign ministers warmly embracing a gesture signaling the strength of the Pakistan-Russia relationship.
Earlier in his address to the summit, Mr. Dar emphasised that the SCO was well-positioned to enhance regional cooperation in humanitarian assistance and emergency response. He highlighted Pakistan’s development of a technology-driven, proactive disaster management system and expressed the country’s willingness to host simulation exercises with SCO partners to strengthen regional readiness for natural disasters.
