FM Dar meets Putin, China’s Li Qiang on SCO sidelines; Pakistan pushes for deeper regional cooperation

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday met Putin and Chinese leadership on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government summit in Moscow, as Pakistan renewed its call for stronger economic connectivity, youth empowerment and disaster preparedness across the Eurasian region.

The summit, being held from November 17 to 18 under Russia’s rotating presidency, is the first major multilateral gathering since the landmark Tianjin summit three months ago. It comes at a crucial moment for regional economic integration amid shifting global geopolitical alignments.

According to the Foreign Office (FO), Dar met Russian President Vladimir Putin during the heads of government session, which brought together top leaders and senior officials from SCO member states. In a post on X, the FO said Putin welcomed delegates to Moscow and underscored the SCO’s importance as a platform for regional economic cooperation, stability and mutually beneficial development.

Dar also held a key bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in which both sides reaffirmed the “all-weather” Pakistan–China strategic partnership. The two leaders reviewed multilateral cooperation, particularly under the SCO’s evolving framework, and appreciated the “Shanghai Spirit” principles that continue to guide regional collaboration. They also exchanged views on global developments and agreed to maintain “real-time engagement” going forward.

The deputy prime minister additionally met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, with the FO describing the interaction as a “substantive review of the full gamut of Pakistan–Russia relations.” The discussion focused on expanding cooperation across political, economic, energy, connectivity, agricultural, industrial, educational and people-to-people domains through institutionalised mechanisms. Overchuk also highlighted Pakistan’s potential as a regional transit hub and recalled his recent visits to the country.

In another significant interaction, Dar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, with photographs showing the two greeting each other warmly. Their discussions further advanced the momentum in Pakistan–Russia ties, which have deepened in recent years around energy cooperation and multilateral engagement.

Dar’s address to SCO: ‘A future-oriented regional partnership’

In his formal address to the SCO gathering earlier in the day, Dar said the organisation was “well-placed” to enhance regional cooperation in dealing with humanitarian emergencies. “The agenda before us — trade, economy, culture and humanitarian cooperation — is the basis of a mature, future-oriented SCO,” he said. “Pakistan views them as interconnected threads in a single, stronger fabric of regional partnership.”

He said the Tianjin summit had signalled the organisation’s growing resolve to harness its collective potential by strengthening trade partnerships, improving infrastructure connectivity, promoting investment and advancing digital economic development. The SCO, he noted, had already laid the foundation for sustainable economic progress across its member states.

Highlighting Pakistan’s readiness to support regional disaster preparedness, Dar said the country’s “technology-driven, proactive disaster management system” could be shared with SCO partners through simulation exercises.

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He urged the organisation to modernise its outreach by moving from “passive observation to real engagement,” encouraging observer and partner states to join project-based initiatives aligned with their expertise. Introducing English as a working language, he added, would further widen the SCO’s global influence and operational efficiency.

Proposals: financial tools and youth empowerment

Dar presented two specific proposals to the Council: operationalising financial tools for trade and economic development, and building human capital. He called for accelerating the activation of institutions such as the SCO Development Bank and development funds, and urged member states to more aggressively utilise the SCO Interbank Consortium for financing connectivity and technical collaboration.

On human capital, the foreign minister emphasised that “the empowerment of our youth is of foremost importance.” Pakistan proposed significantly expanding the SCO University Network into a consortium for applied knowledge, facilitating not only student exchanges but also joint research in areas including information technology, artificial intelligence, agriculture, water management and telemedicine.

“Let us build an SCO that is a launchpad for shared success,” Dar said, adding that Pakistan remained committed to playing a “proactive and creative” role within the organisation.

Dar arrived in Moscow on Monday and was received by senior officials of the Russian Foreign Ministry, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. Pakistan is scheduled to host the next SCO summit, though dates have not yet been announced.

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