Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 15 to attend the annual Meeting of the Council of Heads of State (CHS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on the invitation of Uzbekistan's President, His Excellency Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

In a statement, the Foreign Office (FO) said that SCO leaders will deliberate on important global and regional issues, including climate change, food security energy security, and sustainable supply chains.

"They would also approve agreements and documents that would chart the future direction of cooperation among SCO member states," the statement read.

The SCO is made up of China, Russia, four Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan — India and Pakistan. The CHS is the highest forum of the SCO, which considers and defines the organisation's strategy, prospects and priorities.

Since becoming a full member of SCO in 2017, Pakistan has been actively contributing towards advancing the organization’s core objectives through its participation in various SCO mechanisms, the FO said.

Modi to attend SCO summit with Pakistan

The SCO is a major trans-regional organization spanning South and Central Asia. Founded in 2001,the SCO upholds the values and principles enshrined in the “Shanghai Spirit” that include mutual trust, mutual benefit and pursuit of common development.

Collectively, the SCO member states represent nearly half of the world’s population and a quarter of global economic output.

The SCO’s agenda of promoting peace and stability, and seeking enhanced linkages in infrastructure, economic, trade and cultural spheres, is aligned with Pakistan’s own vision for enhancing economic connectivity as well as peace and stability in the region, the FO said.

The PM will hold bilateral meetings with other participating leaders on the sidelines of the CHS.