Bilawal arrives in Goa for the SCO conference as foreign minister.
“I am looking forward to having fruitful conversations with my counterparts from friendly countries,” the minister said.
On Thursday, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister of Pakistan, arrived in Goa, India, for the two-day meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The Indian foreign minister was greeted at the airport by high-ranking authorities.
The Foreign Office (FO) claims that India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, who is also the chair of the SCO CFM, extended an invitation to the Pakistani delegation to attend the meeting.
The Foreign Office stated in a statement that our presence at the two-day summit shows our support for the SCO charter and processes and the value that Islamabad places on the region.
His “decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of SCO,” the foreign minister said in a video broadcast to Twitter before his trip to the neighboring country.
Finally, he expressed his eagerness to “engage in fruitful dialogue with [his] counterparts from friendly countries.”
Additionally, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated, “Pakistan’s decision to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Minister’s meeting in India reflects our commitment to the SCO Charter [and] multilateralism.”
Before leaving for India, Bilawal met with political heavyweights the day before.
In preparation for the visit, Bilawal Bhutto had spoken with Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P). He sought advice from other government officials as well.
Despite attempts on both sides to improve relations, Pakistan and India are currently at a stalemate.
The journey to India by Foreign Minister Bilawal will be perceived as an effort to thaw the ice, but it may not result in any major shifts in the bilateral relationship.
The significance of the SCO is likely a factor in Pakistan’s choice. Pakistan could not abandon such crucial regional forums, and doing so would offer India an opportunity to further isolate the nation, hence there were strong voices in favour of the visit.
