ISLAMABAD:
The defence ministers of Pakistan and India may meet for the first time since last month’s four-day military conflict, as both Khawaja Asif and his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh are attending a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in China.
The two-day SCO defence ministers’ summit has begun in Qingdao City, located in China’s eastern Shandong Province. The meeting is being hosted by Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun. Both Singh and Asif are present for the event.
It is the first time since Marka-e-Haq that the high-ranking officials from both the countries will be present at the same event. On the sidelines of the event, a meeting could take place between the two ministers, according to Express News report.
On the first day of the meeting, Chinese Defence Minister Dong held individual meetings with his counterparts from Belarus, Iran, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. In the meetings, he stressed the need for international fairness and justice, and upholding global strategic stability.
The defence ministers meeting was preceded by the meeting of the security council secretaries of the SCO member countries on Tuesday. At the meeting, Pakistan was represented by the national security adviser (NSA), according to a news release.
During the visit, the NSA met with the Chinese leadership and the delegates attending the meeting and discussed ways to enhance bilateral and security cooperation, and reiterated Pakistan’s stance on the global, regional situation and contributions to peace and security.
The NSA emphasised on Pakistan’s desire for a stable and peaceful neighbourhood and its role as a ‘net regional stabiliser’, the news release said. Chinese Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong called on the SCO states to deepen practical cooperation on law-enforcement and security.
Wang put forward a five-point proposal at the meeting, calling on SCO member states to practice true multilateralism and provide solutions to global challenges, and remain committed to sharing weal and woe and shielding against interference from forces outside the region.
he called for enhancing regional counter-terrorism capabilities, improving cooperation mechanisms and strengthening their platforms, combating emerging transnational crimes, and deepening exchanges to provide experience for the development of a global community of security for all.
(WITH INPUT FROM XINHUA)
