BISHKEK: The signing ceremony for the declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also signing the declaration.
According to the declaration, Pakistan will assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the term 2026-27. On the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor and reaffirmed their commitment to the growing partnership between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
During the meeting, they discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in all areas of mutual interest and to further solidify bilateral relations. Both sides agreed to expand and strengthen Pakistan-Uzbekistan ties.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional political, economic, and security bloc. Current members: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus joined in 2024. The focus areas are Counter-terrorism, trade, connectivity, energy, culture, and regional stability.
The SCO Council of Heads of State meets once every year. The chairmanship rotates among member states alphabetically in Russian. The host country organizes the annual summit and sets the agenda for that year.
Pakistan last hosted the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Islamabad in 2024. Now, for 2026-27, Pakistan will chair the higher-level Council of Heads of State. The declaration was signed at the SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Sept 1, 2026.PM Shehbaz Sharif attended and signed the declaration, confirming Pakistan’s turn to chair next term. On the sidelines, FM Ishaq Dar met Uzbekistan’s FM Bakhtiyor Saidov to discuss expanding trade, connectivity, and regional cooperation.
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