Ishaq Dar meets Tajik president on sidelines of SCO heads of government meeting in Dushanbe

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar met President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on Tuesday. The meeting was held along with the delegations of the heads of government of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

According to The Nation, Dar is in Dushanbe to attend the 25th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government. Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda received the visiting leaders on their arrival at the venue.

President Emomali Rahmon welcomed the visiting leaders. He said it was necessary to strengthen regional economic cooperation within the framework of the SCO to promote connectivity, stability and shared prosperity. According to Daily CPEC, he highlighted the organisation’s role in promoting regional connectivity, stability and shared prosperity.

India was represented at the meeting by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. According to the Indian magazine Open Magazine, he said in his address that there should be no double standards on terrorism and that there was no room for those who finance, assist or shelter terrorists. He said the entire ecosystem of terrorism should be dismantled collectively. According to the magazine, Dar was also present at the meeting.

Open Magazine wrote that Rajnath Singh also held meetings with Tajik Prime Minister Qohir Rasulzoda and Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on the sidelines of the meeting. According to the magazine, he had also said in New Delhi on 15 October that India’s response to any further terrorist attacks from Pakistan would be severe.

Citing India’s Ministry of Defence, the magazine reported that the meeting is focusing on cooperation in culture, connectivity, the economy, innovation, investment and people-to-people exchanges, while participants will also review the organisation’s financial and institutional matters.