SHANGHAI, June 15: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Thursday underscored Pakistan’s strong credentials for securing full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and said the country was most suitably positioned to contribute to realising SCO objectives.

Addressing the sixth summit meeting of the SCO, President Musharraf said that Pakistan was prepared to work closely with the SCO and contribute constructively towards its goals.

Strongly pleading Islamabad’s genuine desire to associate itself with the SCO, he referred to Pakistan’s importance in geo-political, geo-strategic and geo-economic terms for playing an effective role as per its charter.

Amidst the gathering of state leaders from China, Russia and four central Asian states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan — as well as Iran, Afghanistan and Mongolia, President Musharraf highlighted the role that Pakistan had been playing in the recent years for peace and development.

Pakistan, he said, would strengthen SCOs endeavours towards peace, security and overall harmony in the region. Besides playing a critical role in countering terrorism and extremism, Islamabad could also contribute effectively against drug and arms trafficking.

President Musharraf also saw Pakistan’s contributory role in the social sector towards promoting education, tourism and cultural exchanges leading to enhanced people to people contact.

While hoping examination of Pakistan’s case for full membership positively, he suggested firming up more substantive participation of observer states in the SCO processes.

Arguing for full membership, Gen Musharraf said Pakistan was most suitably positioned to promote the interests of the SCO. “Pakistan provides the natural link between SCO states to connect the Eurasian heartland with the Arabian sea and South Asia.”

“We offer the critical overland routes and connectivity for mutually beneficial trade and energy transactions intra-regionally and inter-regionally,” he said.

President Musharraf noted that the SCO represented hopes and aspirations of a quarter of humanity. “It has the potential to emerge as a most potent force of stability in the region,” he said.

He said that he had no doubts that in the years to come, the SCO would make further progress in diverse fields, particularly security and development, in the Eurasian region.

Pakistan with its strong commitment to the SCO’s charter, principles and purposes would spare no effort to promote the objectives espoused by the organization.

Expressing feelings of friendship with SCO’s member states, President Musharraf also spoke about the existing deep-rooted Sino-Pakistan friendship and said: “We greatly values and cherish this long relationship.”

MEETS LEADERS: President Gen Pervez Musharraf met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A wide-range of issues of mutual interest, including promotion of trade and economic cooperation, were discussed at the meetings that took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.

They reviewed their existing cooperation in various fields and pledged to further consolidate their partnership on bilateral and regional levels.

President Musharraf reiterated Pakistan’s strong commitment to durable peace, security and development in the region.

He stressed Pakistan’s desire to promote regional trade and economic cooperation for the collective well being of all.—APP