Pakistan PM departs for SCO summit in Russia

Islamabad:  Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi left for Russia on Thursday to represent the country at a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Sochi.
This is the first SCO Heads of Government meeting that Pakistan will attend after assuming full membership of the organisation in June this year along with India, Radio Pakistan reported.
The meeting is mandated to focus on the strategy, prospects and priorities for SCO’s developmental cooperation.
The Prime Minister along with his other SCO counterparts will participate in the SCO retreat being hosted by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
The retreat will be followed by a plenary session of the Council of Heads of Government where the Prime Minister will deliver a statement.
Abbasi is expected to outline Pakistan’s commitment to SCO’s objectives, including fighting terrorism and extremism and its sincere interest in regional peace, stability and development.
The Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.(IANS)