Khurram Dastgir to attend SCO defence ministers conference in China

BEIJING: DefenCe Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan is scheduled for a two-day official visit to Beijing from April 23 to 24 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers meeting in Beijing.

Defence ministers of various countries are expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The group meeting will be held on 23 April.

Dastgir is also expected to have a meeting with Chinese defence minister Wei Fenghe on the sidelines, to discuss bilateral issues and further enhance defence collaboration between the two countries. He will also meet ministers of other SCO state members, official sources confirmed here.

The defence minister on the second day is scheduled lay floral wreaths at the Tiananmen Square.

In addition, Dastgir will attend the ‘Peace Horn’ military music festival at the Great Wall of China, where Pakistan’s tri-forces military band is also participating along with other SCO member states.

Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also scheduled to visit China from April 23 to 25 to attending the meeting.

Pakistan and India were recognised as full members of the SCO in 2017 at the Astana summit.

Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia serve as observer states whereas Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners of the SCO.

SCO was founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, and comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

President Mamnoon Hussain is expected to lead the Pakistani delegation for the summit.