Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday urged the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) to adopt a shared vision of trans-regional co-operation to achieve peace and development in the region. "I have no doubt that by collective wisdom and concerted efforts, we can contribute to building a prosperous future," the Prime Minister said while addressing eighth annual meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the SCO.
The summit was attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Secretary-General Bolat Nurgaliev and other SCO heads of government. Prime Minister Gilani said the challenges, particularly financial crisis, terrorism and extremism, energy, food, environmental and information security needed to be addressed on priority.
He suggested that the SCO must assume the lead in initiating a high-level strategic dialogue engaging the spectrum of its association and observers, to crystallise a comprehensive and large-scale trans-regional development agenda. He said practical modalities must be worked out to craft investment instruments for win-win project co-operation in the areas of energy and infrastructure.
Gilani proposed for developing SCO's Banking Association and Business Council to harness the potentials of private and corporate sectors of the SCO affiliates. He pointed free trade as the only option to enable the regional economies to shield themselves from vagaries of financial turmoil. The Prime Minister called upon the SCO member states to grant Pakistan full membership, since it had been on observer status for the last four years.
He said Pakistan shared with the SCO and its members, strong economic and strategic complementarities, and hoped an early and affirmative response for membership. On relations with China, Gilani said Pakistan drew deep inspiration from China's success, and said the relationship was evolving stronger, deeper and more profound with each passing day.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan considered peace, stability and security of Afghanistan as central to the peace and stability of its neighbourhood. "Pakistan would be happy to partner with the SCO and Afghanistan in helping arrest the trans-regional flows of weapons and narcotics," he said. He welcomed the SCO determination to establish counter-narcotics and financial security belts. Gilani said Pakistan was making tangible headway in its struggle against terrorism and extremism.
He said the people and government of Pakistan, its political forces and state institutions were united like never before in confronting the menace. He mentioned the three-pronged strategy of "Dialogue, Development and Deterrence" that had the backing of national consensus, adding that in Swat and elsewhere, the national resolve was driving back the forces of evil. He appreciated the assistance from the SCO members, particularly China, in looking after the internally displaced population of Swat.
Gilani said Pakistan's economic fundamentals were strong and its economy, in consonance with the trend across the SCO region, was on the road to recovery. "We wish to develop closer links with the SCO financial and banking sectors, and promote linkages with the private sectors," he said.
He said Pakistan wanted to undertake with the SCO high impact initiatives in the areas of energy, transport and telecommunication, as well as disaster response and relief. Earlier on his arrival at the Great Hall of the People, Prime Minister Gilani joined other leaders for a group photograph and later attended the plenary session.
The event was attended by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Russia that took over the presidency of the organisation last August. Pakistan, Iran, India and Mongolia attended the summit as observers, while Afghanistan and Turkmenistan attended as guests. The SCO's six full members account for 60 percent of the landmass of Eurasia and its population is a third of the world, while with its affiliates, the SCO accounts for half of the human race.
The SCO aims at combating terrorism, extremism and separatism. While focusing primarily on security matters, the organisation in recent years, expanded its mandate to also include co-operation in the economic, humanitarian and technological fields.
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