Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday left for Goa, India, to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, marking the first time since 2011 that a Pakistani foreign minister has visited the rival state.
In a video statement on Twitter prior to his departure, Bhutto-Zardari said he was looking forward to “engaging bilaterally” with countries that were part of the SCO. “On my way to Goa, India. Will be leading the Pakistan delegation at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of SCO,” he wrote, adding that the visit would focus “exclusively” on the SCO and he would engage with counterparts from “friendly” countries.
The Foreign Office confirmed the minister’s departure, adding that he was flying to Goa from Karachi via chartered flight.
A day earlier, the foreign minister apprised leaders of the ruling coalition, as well as the Jamaat-e-Islami, about the aim of his trip to India. According to a statement, he talked with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman; Balochistan National Party-Mengal President Sardar Akhtar Mengal; Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui; JI chief Sirajul Haq and National Party leader Tahir Bizenjo to consult with them over his visit.
A statement from the Foreign Office said Bhutto-Zardari was attending the SCO meeting on the invitation of its current chair, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. “Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” it said.
Apart from deliberating upon various important regional and international issues and signing some institutional documents, the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting is aimed at finalizing the agenda and decisions to be adopted by the 17th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting scheduled to take place in New Delhi on July 3-4. The meeting would also witness the signing of memorandums of understanding with five countries—Bahrain, Kuwait Maldives, Myanmar and U.A.E.—to become Dialogue Partners of the SCO.
Comprising China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as its members, the SCO also includes Afghanistan, Belarus, Mongolia and Iran as observers and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Egypt, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Turkey as dialogue partners. It is aimed at promoting mutual confidence and good, neighborly relations among member states; strengthening regional peace, security and stability; and creating a framework for effective cooperation in the fields of politics, trade and economy, culture, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, tourism, and environmental protection.
Bhutto-Zardari’s visit to India is being seen as key to reopening ties between Islamabad and Delhi, which have been largely suspended since the abrogation of the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. However, in a bid to avoid controversy, the Foreign Office has already made it clear that the foreign minister would not conduct any bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart during the summit. In this regard, the foreign minister has also stressed that the visit should not be seen as a sign of improved bilateral ties between the two neighboring nations.