A Daylong Seminar Held On "Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Challenges, Opportunities"

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A daylong seminar held on "Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)  Challenges, Opportunities"

A daylong seminar on "Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ' Challenges and Opportunities" was held here on Tuesday to focus on the international environment, future projection with special emphasis on regional security dynamics and serving as the platform for Pakistan to portray what it has to offer to the region and the world.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Feb, 2018 ) :A daylong seminar on "Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ' Challenges and Opportunities" was held here on Tuesday to focus on the international environment, future projection with special emphasis on regional security dynamics and serving as the platform for Pakistan to portray what it has to offer to the region and the world.

The seminar was arranged by the Center for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS) to bring together the international guest speakers, diplomats, former ambassadors, government representatives, armed forces officers and experts of foreign policy which discussed the various ways in which the SCO has promoted regional connectivity.

The seminar also highlighted the significance of gaining full membership for Pakistan and the benefits, problems and solutions this membership holds for the country. Lieutenant General Muhammad Zahir Ul islam HI(M), (Retd) ' Chairman CGSS in his opening remarks said the SCO has emerged as a major player in regional and global affairs.

He said the SCO has provided Pakistan an opportunity to improve its relations with the regional countries by facilitating trade through the Gwadar Port, contributing to a regional solution to the Afghanistan issue, addressing its worsening energy crisis, as well as learning from and contributing to the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).

Pakistan is an ideally positioned country on the globe being at the crossroad of Central Asia and South West Asia and South Asia, he added. Ambassador of People's Republic of China to Pakistan Yao Jing presented his speech on "Strategic Role of China in Strengthening the SCO".

He said in order to strengthen the SCO, firstly, there is need to consolidate solidarity and coordination, secondly, all of the SCO members are facing security challenges which needs joint efforts of the member countries to tackle them.

Thirdly, practical cooperation are needed and fourthly, people-to-people and cultural bonds are needed to be enhanced. And at last, openness and inclusiveness should be maintained. Leading Expert, Center for Military-Political Studies, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia, Dr Vladimir Kozin presented his speech on "Role of Russia in Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Challenges and Opportunities".

He said the most acute challenge being faced by the SCO is that Russia and China have been labelled as "long-standing strategic competitors of the USA", though both powers have defensive nuclear doctrines.

He said Russia is happy that its relationship with Pakistan is developing very actively along all directions and it is strange to hear claims such as "DO MORE" from the US, because Pakistan has made formidable contribution to wipe out the menace of terrorism.

Moscow is grateful to Islamabad for such tireless contribution and later this year Russia and Pakistan will conduct anti-terrorist exercises, he added. Deputy Director of the Center for Strategic Studies under the President, Republic of Tajikistan Dr Muminova Farida Mahmoodovna presented her speech on "Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Economic Cooperation in Shanghai Cooperation Organization".

She said even at the level of interaction between research structures, it is possible to promote economic cooperation. At least four themes including food security, water and energy issues, development of transport communications and transit potential production cooperation directions may be of interest to all SCO countries.

She said a high level of support and trust between governments and the formation of common interests is required, adding that an institutional mechanism is required for coordinating the activities of various stakeholders.

The priority direction of cooperation is not only trade and economic ties, but also the implementation of infrastructure projects and production cooperation. Deputy General Secretary, One Belt One Road Center, Chinese academy of Social Sciences, China Mr.

Xu Wenhong presented his speech on "China's Strategic Interests Viz-a-Viz Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)". He said the China's strategic focus in the region: security, economics, OBOR initiatives, geopolitical aspects and Afghanistan.

He gave five principles for peaceful coexistence namely mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in others internal affairs, equality and cooperation for mutual benefit and last but not the least peaceful co-existence.

He further talked about the China-Pakistan relationship within the framework of SCO is: All-Weather strategic partnership, Iron brothers and important pillar within the framework of SCO. Former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani presented speech on "Pakistan's Geostrategic Role in Shanghai Cooperation Organization".

He said that t he SCO binds us in a political and economic framework. He said Pakistan has always been committed to regional connectivity and to act as a bridge particularly for the landlocked Central Asian states.

Pakistanis a hub of geo economic activity culminating in the shape of belt and road initiative and its main artery under CPEC, he added. He said the SCO has become a paradigm of global and regional cooperation with great vitality and significant influence which serves as a model of efficient cooperation by paying equal attention simultaneously to economic development and security cooperation.

Former High Commissioner of Pakistan to India, President Islamabad Policy Research Institute Ambassador Abdul Basit presented his speech on "Shanghai Cooperation Organization: India's Perspective and Impact on Bilateral Relations with Pakistan".

He said that initially India was reluctant to join the SCO to as it was trying to enhance its relationship with the US. However, India finally joined the SCO organization after 2014. The three main objectives of India to join SCO are firstly, to participate in the regional connectivity.

Second, India thought that through SCO it can exert pressure on Pakistan for providing transit to Afghanistan. Third the main objective of India is to achieve gains and benefits in the energy sector as it is an energy deficit state.

He further said India has failed to achieve its diplomatic objectives through SAARC. Therefore, the focus of India has now been shifted towards SCO. Advisor to National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Islamabad Amer Hashmi presented his speech on "Geo-Economic Role of Pakistan in the Emerging Markets of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)".

He said playing a successful geo-economic role in the emerging markets of SCO means Pakistan can utilize economic tools like trade, energy, and investment, infrastructure development to further its geopolitical objectives as stated before.

It is also an undeniable fact that the global economic center of gravity has shifted to the vicinity of Pakistan with the peaceful development of China presenting an unprecedented geo-economic opportunity and geopolitical challenge to Pakistan, he added.