ISLAMABAD, October 15. /TASS/. The heads of government will arrive in Pakistan to participate in the 23rd meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the SCO Member States.
As noted by the Geo TV channel, this year Pakistan is expecting heads of government or senior officials of all member countries of the organization, excluding India. New Delhi's position will be presented by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Russia will be presented by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The meeting’s agenda will include development of regional trade and economic cooperation, strengthening socio-cultural ties between the SCO member countries, as well as combating climate change.
The arrival of the SCO member countries' delegations is expected on October 15. The main events are scheduled for October 16.
The meeting of the Heads of Government of the SCO Member States is taking place amid growing security threats due to the rise of terrorist groups in Pakistan. In early October, an explosion near the international airport in the Pakistani city of Karachi, Sindh province, killed at least three people, two of whom were Chinese citizens. In late September, a motorcade of foreign diplomats was attacked in the Swat district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing one policeman. Along with the SCO events, a rally of the opposition Movement for Justice party is expected to be held in Islamabad on October 15. In this regard, increased security measures have been introduced in Islamabad, and vehicle traffic has been partially restricted in the capital's "red zone" (the area of Islamabad where the main government buildings, judicial and legislative institutions are located - TASS). More than 9,000 law enforcement officers, military personnel and representatives of the security services are deployed in the city, whose tasks include protecting the infrastructure facilities involved in the SCO event, as well as ensuring the safety of foreign guests.