ISLAMABAD: National coordinators from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will meet in Islamabad from Sept. 28 to 30 as Pakistan begins its year-long chairmanship along with regional connectivity, innovation and economic cooperation among the key issues on the agenda.
The three-day meeting will bring together national coordinators from SCO member states and representatives of the organization's secretariat to discuss Pakistan's program of activities and preparations for upcoming meetings and events.
Pakistan's national coordinator for the SCO will chair the meeting, which will be the first session of the SCO Council of National Coordinators held under Pakistan's chairmanship of the Council of Heads of State for 2026-27. Pakistan has adopted the theme "Turning vision into action, connectivity, innovation and shared prosperity" for its chairmanship.
According to the Foreign Office, Pakistan plans to focus on improving regional connectivity, promoting innovation, expanding economic cooperation and strengthening people-to-people contacts. The meeting will also address organizational matters and preparations for several high-level SCO events planned during Pakistan's chairmanship.
One of the major events will be the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting, which Pakistan is scheduled to host in Islamabad in August 2027. Pakistan assumed the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship during the organization's annual summit in Kyrgyzstan in September.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has previously outlined priorities for Pakistan's SCO term, including information technology and artificial intelligence, energy, poverty reduction, disaster management, health, culture and sports.
Preparations for the 2027 SCO summit are also underway in Islamabad. The plans include upgrading the Jinnah Convention Centre and increasing the availability of internationally recognized hotel accommodation in the capital.
