President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday expressed strong hope for Pakistan to get full membership of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO), saying it would not only benefit the country, but will also help the regional grouping achieve its goal of peace, stability and promoting economic co-operation in the region.
He also held important meetings with presidents of China, Russia, Iran and Afghanistan on the margins of SCO summit on June 15, besides having interaction with the leading Chinese and SCO business leaders to project Pakistan as an ideal destination for investment.
"I am very hopeful and reasonably sure that we will get the full membership of the (SCO) grouping," President told reporters while flying back home after attending the SCO summit and a regional conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The President said the six-nation grouping fully realises that Pakistan can play a very important role in the SCO, adding Pakistan currently has an observer status along with Iran, India and Mongolia that groups China, Russia and four Central Asian states as its full members.
"It is not just that we are seeking a full membership but Pakistan also has a role," he said, adding Pakistan was geo-strategically located to provide connectivity and linkages to the member states in the region.
He said the SCO charter has two important elements - countering terrorism and economic development - and in both Pakistan had an important role that everyone realised.
Pakistan will also have economic and political advantages from becoming a full member of the SCO, he added.
Earlier, speaking at the second summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Almaty, the President on Saturday said Pakistan favours negotiated and peaceful solution of controversy over Iran's nuclear issue. "The recent tension over the Iranian nuclear issue has been a source of deep concern to all of us. Therefore, we welcome the renewed diplomatic efforts to find a negotiated settlement as well as the US decision to directly engage with Iran," President Musharraf said.
"We have been supporting Iran-EU-3 dialogue and search for a diplomatic solution especially by Russia and China," he said.
Talking about the ongoing Pakistan-India dialogue process, he said the two countries have a unique peace opportunity in South Asia. He stated the implementation of a number of CBMs in diverse sectors has improved relations and security environment in South Asia.
The President also met President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in Almaty on Saturday. The two leaders discussed bilateral issues, situation in the region and trade and economic relations between the two countries.
In separate interviews with Chinese media, the President said Pakistan which itself has been a victim to terrorism is in the forefront of the nations fighting this menace.
"All along Pakistan has been focused on preservation of international and regional peace, security and stability."
During his three-day stay here, the President had an extensive interaction with the local Chinese electronic and print-media, including China central television, Phoeix TV, Dragon TV Shanghai, China Radio International and the China Daily. The Chinese media, including the China Daily and the Shanghai Daily published special supplements on the eve of the President's visit.
The interviews covered wide-ranging subjects, including Pakistan's peace efforts to normalise relations with India.
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