国际英语新闻:SCO provides platform for development of regional countries: Pakistani FM

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) provides a strong platform in which regional countries will come together to find possibilities of development, prosperity and connectivity.

In a video message before embarking on a visit to Russia to represent his country at a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the SCO, Qureshi said that the forum has the potential to address the problems faced by the regional countries.

"Another significance of the SCO is that many countries will be in attendance, which have interest in peace in Afghanistan, and the issue can be discussed to find a solution," Qureshi said, adding that he will meet foreign ministers of such countries at the sidelines of the meeting.

He said that the meeting would also give him a chance to meet foreign ministers of Central Asian countries and discuss with them the prospects of increasing bilateral trade. "We will discuss how the region can be promoted and prospered by doing trade through Gwadar port."

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Qureshi was invited to attend the event by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"Since becoming a member in 2017, Pakistan has been actively contributing in working towards achieving SCO's multi-sectoral agenda through participation in various SCO mechanisms," the statement added.