Beijing – Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif is currently visiting China on a six-day trip to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, a visit that has turned into a critical arena of a series of high-level diplomatic interactions.

The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir, had a series of meetings with various world leaders, including boosting bilateral relations and discussing common regional issues.

This is a diplomatic initiative to strengthen the position of Pakistan in the international arena and develop new areas of partnership.

The SCO summit was the diplomatic highlight of the visit, and the attendance of Prime Minister Sharif was accorded special attention. During the historic military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of the Japanese military in World War II, he was observed in a high-profile position next to the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The live coverage of the interactions among the three leaders highlighted the richness of the strategic ties that exist between Pakistan and China and Russia, a powerful message to the world.

Strengthening Core Alliances

The interactions of the Prime Minister with the key leaders highlighted the emphasis of Pakistan on its long-term alliances. During a meeting with the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, the two leaders decided to take the next step in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Prime Minister Sharif praised the impressive strides of China and reiterated that Pakistan was dedicated to joining China in its development.

Regarding the security, Shahbaz Sharif said that external forces organize terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which, unfortunately, is not a widely accepted narrative in the world, according to him. In his turn, President Xi conveyed the full support of China to help Pakistan in combating terrorism.

During the meeting with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister Sharif was pleased by the favourable trend of relations since the last meeting in Astana. He stressed the importance of increasing integration in different areas of work, such as trade, energy, defence, agriculture, and technology. A sign of the increasing friendship, President Putin sent an official invitation to the Prime Minister to visit the next SCO summit in Russia.

Prime Minister Sharif also held a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where he once again reminded Pakistan of its support on the Palestinian issue. Both leaders committed to working together on peace and stability in the region and said they were pleased at the increasing collaboration between their countries in many areas.

Expanding Regional and Bilateral Ties

In addition to the core allies, there were attempts to increase the diplomatic reach of Pakistan through the visit of the Prime Minister. He also met with the Iranian President, Dr. Masoud Peshkeshian, where he emphasized the need to improve bilateral relations. As a sign of support, the Iranian President thanked Pakistan and expressed regret over the recent floods.

During a meeting with the Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Sharif congratulated Azerbaijan on the historic peace accord with Armenia, which he described as a major move towards long-term peace. Cooperation in trade, investment, energy, defence, and education was also discussed by the leaders, and President Aliyev also took a moment to congratulate Pakistan on the loss of life and property as a result of the floods.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon also met with the Prime Minister, and both leaders decided to develop bilateral relations further, with the primary emphasis placed on developing trade, investment, energy, and cultural relations.

Notable Diplomatic Development: No Meeting with India

Another significant diplomatic development was the absence of a meeting between the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Pakistani leader, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

In spite of the fact that both leaders attended the SCO summit, no official negotiations took place. This non-meeting is a clear indication of the poor relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and depicts the complicated geopolitics involved in the SCO framework.

The visit and the row of high-level meetings indicate the attempts of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to increase the levels of the influence of Pakistan in the sphere of diplomacy, to build strong relations with some important partners, and to play a positive role in the sphere of relationships both in the region and globally.

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