Pakistan to assume SCO presidency as Shehbaz signs summit declaration

Pakistan will assume the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State for 2026–27 after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the summit declaration in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

The SCO Council of Heads of State meeting is being held in the Kyrgyz capital, with Sharif leading Pakistan’s delegation to the summit.

Following his arrival in Bishkek, Sharif also held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, stressing the importance of tolerance, dialogue and diplomatic engagement in promoting peace and stability across the region.

The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian states as a regional security forum. Over the past 25 years, the organization has expanded significantly in both membership and influence, although its objectives and practical agenda have remained relatively broad and its global profile limited.

The SCO currently has 10 member states: China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Several other countries are associated with the organization as dialogue partners.