Going To Pakistan For SCO Summit, Not To Discuss Bilateral Relations: Jaishankar

India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, clarified on Saturday (5 October) that his upcoming visit to Islamabad is solely for the purpose of attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2024, and dismissed any speculation about discussions regarding India-Pakistan relations during the trip.

He emphasised that his presence in Pakistan is strictly to fulfil India's responsibilities as a "good member of the SCO".

"Yes, I am scheduled to go to Pakistan in the middle of this month and that is for the meeting of the SCO --the heads of government meeting," Jaishankar said while delivering the Sardar Patel Lecture on Governance, organised by IC Centre for Governance in New Delhi.---

"I expect that there would be a lot of media interest because the very nature of the relationship is such and I think we will deal with it. But I do want to say it, I will be there for a multilateral event, I mean I am not going there to discuss India-Pakistan relations. I am going there to be a good member of the SCO. Since I am a courteous and civil person, I will behave myself accordingly," he said, ANI reported.

The External Affairs Minister highlighted that the SCO Summit is taking place in Islamabad this time, because, similar to India, Pakistan too, is a recent member of the bloc.

"Normally the Prime Minister goes to the high-level meeting, the heads of state, that's in line with the tradition. It so happens that the meeting is taking place in Pakistan, because, like us, they are a relatively recent member," Jaishankar added.

When questioned about his preparations ahead of the summit, Jaishankar responded, "Of course, I am planning for it. In my business, you plan for everything that you are going to do, and for a lot of things that you are not going to do, and which could happen also, you plan for that as well."

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that Jaishankar would travel to Pakistan for the SCO Summit this month.

Speaking on India’s involvement in the summit, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "EAM Jaishankar will lead a delegation to Pakistan to participate in the SCO summit which will be held in Islamabad on October 15-16."

In August, India received a formal invitation from Pakistan to attend the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) in-person meeting.

In May 2023, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India to participate in the SCO meeting held in Goa. It marked the first visit by a Pakistani Foreign Minister to India in six years.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was established as a permanent intergovernmental organisation on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, with Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as founding members.

Successor to the 'Shanghai Five' mechanism, the SCO now comprises nine member states, including India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.

Additionally, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Belarus serve as observer states.

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