Prime Minister Imran Khan has reached Tajikistan for a two-day visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization annual summit.
The premier was received by the Tajik Prime Minister, Kokhir Rasulzoda, at the Dushanbe International Airport.
Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI arrives in Tajikistan.
The Prime Minister was received by Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda and was accorded a red carpet welcome at Dushanbe International Airport, Tajikistan.#PMIKvisitsTajikistan#PMIKatSCOSummit pic.twitter.com/rNVBzOFRRR
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 16, 2021
The prime minister met with H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, today, and discussed bilateral and regional issues.
Imran Khan will attend the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit in Dushanbe on September 17.
Khan will also inaugurate the first session of the Pakistan-Tajikistan Business Forum held today.
Sixty-seven Pakistani companies and over 150 Tajik companies will participate in the forum today. About 1500 meetings will be held during the forum.
Major sectors that are participating include textiles, pharmaceuticals, leather, agricultural products, logistics, tourism, and mining.
The Pakistan-Tajikistan Joint Business Council is also due to meet at the forum.
Abdul Razak Dawood, Advisor to PM on Commerce & Investment, addressed the forum, saying, “The objective is regional connectivity and trade. We want to follow examples of ASEAN and EU in enhancing intra-regional trade and connectivity.”
He said, “You trade through our seaports, and we will trade through your land routes. There are lot of challenges, and it will take time, but we need work together to overcome these. We want to have joint ventures in textiles, pharmaceutical sectors, and logistics sectors.”
The advisor added that the private sector is “the engine of growth.” He remarked that he wants to assure the business committee that the government will facilitate their entry into Central Asian markets.
Foreign Office Spokesperson, Asim Iftikhar, said “His talks with Tajik President will cover the entire gamut of bilateral relations, especially enhancing trade, economic and investment ties with a particular focus on regional connectivity.”
Iftikhar added that this is the prime minister’s third visit to Central Asia.
“The Prime Minister’s visit is part of Pakistan’s deepened engagement with Central Asia through ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy, having revitalized focus in five key areas of political ties, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security and defense, and people-to-people contacts,” Iftikhar explained.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance, founded in 2001. Its members consist of several Eurasian states, including China, Russia, and India. Pakistan joined the alliance in 2005.
Initially focused on security issues, the organization has also expanded its activities to economic and social development. However, it primarily centers on security-related concerns, such as military cooperation, intelligence sharing, and counterterrorism.
The summit is an annual meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State, in which members review progress made on the organization’s activities and discuss opportunities for further cooperation.
