ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a roundtable on Saturday highlighted the importance of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), opportunities for Pakistan and the challenges that should be kept in view of its objectives and role in future.

The China-Pakistan Study Centre at the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS) hosted the roundtable, ‘Shanghai Cooperation Organisation: Pakistan’s policy, priorities and opportunities’.

A statement issued here said the roundtable provided valuable insights into Pakistan’s upcoming pivotal role in the SCO in the run-up to the council of heads of government summit to be hosted by Pakistan as well as its vision for regional cooperation and economic integration.

In his welcome remarks, ISSI Director General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood underscored the significance of SCO as a trans-regional platform.

He said since its establishment in 2001, SCO has grown to become a ‘big family’ of 26 countries, including member states, observers and dialogue partners. Commutatively, SCO accounts for 60pc of Eurasian landmass, 40pc of global population and nearly 30pc of global GDP.

The organisation continued to carry the ‘Shanghai Spirit’ of mutual trust, equality and respect for diversity and pursuit of common development, as opposed to any zero-sum perspectives or notions of geopolitical confrontation or civilisation clash.

Mr Mahmood said Pakistan had considered SCO as an important platform from the outset. The country’s forthcoming responsibilities in various councils as well as the apex decision-making body, the council of heads of state, entailed important opportunities for advancing SCO’s objectives of regional peace and stability. It would be important for Pakistan to be both imaginative and proactive as its steers various SCO meetings and summit processes in 2024 and beyond.

He also highlighted the challenges that may confront the organisation in the form of diversity of member states, effects of major-power competition and changing nature of security threats in the region and called for careful resolution of such challenges with close consultations among the member countries.

Ambassador Babar Amin spoke on Pakistan’s strategic objectives within the organisation. He highlighted Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen relations with Russia through the SCO platform and emphasised the importance of connectivity and infrastructure development, particularly in addressing energy crises.

He said Pakistan could act as a natural partner with SCO for promoting connectivity, trade and economic cooperation in the region. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) aligned naturally with goals of SCO for regional connectivity and promotion of trade. Pakistan could also assist SCO member countries in the area of security cooperation due to its extensive counter-terrorism experience and collaboration with the regional anti-terrorism structure (RATS) mechanism of SCO.

Ambassador Babar Amin said key strategic priorities for Pakistan within the SCO included establishing itself as a credible partner, particularly in contrast to India’s selective engagement and perceived alignment with Western preferences.

He said Pakistan sought to enhance non-traditional security cooperation through the RATS mechanism within the SCO, fostering collaboration on defense and security matters.

Centre of Excellence for CPEC Executive Director Dr Liaquat Ali Shah emphasised the multifaceted nature of SCO’s agenda, aligning with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Dr Shah said the potential for synergy between SCO and BRI and in extension with CPEC was essential to promote regional integration.

Addressing the challenges and opportunities of financial integration within the SCO, Dr Shazia Ghani, senior research associate at the Grenoble Centre of Research on Economy, France, emphasised the importance of understanding the diverse economies of SCO member states and the necessity for exportable surplus to leverage economic potential effectively.

She said it was the need of the hour at the SCO platform to discuss prospects of trading in regional currencies as the shift to trading in other currencies now appears inevitable.

Prof Dr Syed Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi, chairman of Department of International Relations at the University of Peshawar, advocated for a redefinition of power relations within the SCO, stressing the primacy of economics over traditional security paradigms. He highlighted the need for enhanced economic relations with regional and neighbouring states and the importance of strengthening regional connectivity.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Director of China Pakistan Study Centre Dr Talat Shabbir highlighted Pakistan’s upcoming assumption of the rotating annual chairs for the SCO’s governing bodies, including the council of heads of government, council of regional anti-terrorism structure and the council for heads of state.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2024