FM Dar meets 'iron-clad brother' President Xi as SCO leaders converge in Beijing

• FM Dar reiterates resolve to deepen enduring friendship with China.
• Minister meets counterparts from Iran, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.
• DPM also interacts with leaders from kazahkhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

BEIJING: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Chinese President Xi Jinping as he represented Pakistan at the joint call of the Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Member States in Beijing on Tuesday.

"Delighted to meet earlier today with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Conveyed the warm greetings of the leadership, government and people of Pakistan," FM Dar said in a post on X.

"As iron-clad brothers and All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partners, we remain committed to deepening Pakistan-China enduring friendship and advancing shared regional goals," he added.

The high-level interaction comes as the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) is convening in Beijing with representatives from Pakistan, China, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in attendance.

The CFM is the third-highest forum in the SCO format. It focuses on the issues of international relations, as well as foreign and security policies.

The forum also approves the documents, including declarations and statements, etc, that are to be presented for the consideration of the Council of Heads of State as well as the decisions to be adopted by the CHS.

Meanwhile, the Chinese president, welcoming the heads of delegations, underlined the salience of regional cooperation under the ambit of SCO, an organisation covering the Eurasian land mass and a large expanse of the world’s population.

Apart from his interaction with President Xi, FM Dar also met Kulubaev Zheenbek Moldokanovic, his counterpart from Kyrgyzstan, on the sidelines where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the longstanding bilateral relationship and to enhancing collaboration across all areas of mutual interest.

Furthermore, Dar also met his Kazakh counterpart Murat Nurtleu wherein both sides reiterated their resolve to deepen Pakistan-Kazakhstan bilateral ties and to expand collaboration across regional and multilateral fora.

In addition to this, Pakistan's FM also interacted with the foreign ministers of Iran, Uzbekistan, and Belarus on the sidelines of the SCO CFM.

"Always good to exchange views for strengthening regional understanding and cooperation in such a challenging time," said Dar.