BISHKEK (Dunya News) - Pakistan will take over the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State for 2026-27, following the signing of a formal declaration in the Kyrgyz capital on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the declaration during a ceremony held on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek.
The development marks Pakistan’s upcoming leadership of the regional grouping, which brings together several major countries from Asia and Eurasia.
After arriving in Bishkek, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where he stressed the importance of tolerance, dialogue and diplomatic contacts for peace and stability in the region.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian states as a security forum.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization currently has 10 member states: China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Several other countries are associated with the organization as “dialogue partners.”