Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday held meetings with leaders of the countries in Tajikistan capital Dushanbe who have come to attend the 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) summit.
Premier Imran met Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
According to the government, the meeting “focused on close collaboration in areas of mutual interest.”
President Lukashenko presented PM Imran Khan with souvenirs from his country, the statement added.
Later, the premier met Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
According to the PM’s Office, the two leaders exchanged views on bilateral relations and discussed key regional and international issues.
“They affirmed the commitment to enhance Pakistan-Kazakhstan relations in diverse fields, particularly trade, investment and transportation links,” it read.
The statement said that the prime minister underlined that “Pakistan resolves to comprehensively upgrade engagement with Central Asian countries through its ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy.”
The prime minister emphasised the importance of connectivity and Pakistan’s “pivotal position in providing the shortest access route to the sea”, the statement said.
He also highlighted the significance of the Trans-Afghan railway project connecting Termez-Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Jalalabad-Peshawar.
According to the statement, the prime minister also elaborated his vision of socio-economic development and shifting country’s priority from geo-politics to geo-economics.
To promote regional integration, the two sides also decided to enhance connectivity through land and air routes, said the statement.
On the Afghanistan situation, Prime Minister Imran underscored the importance of peace and stability in the country for Pakistan and the region. He stressed that the international community must “remain engaged to support the Afghan people, to address urgent humanitarian needs, and take steps to stabilise the economy”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran also met new Iran President Ebrahim Raisi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO summit, the PM Office said.
