<p>Pakistan announced on Thursday that Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/pakistans-foreign-minister-bilawal-bhutto-says-country-in-perfect-storm-of-crises-1198915.html" target="_blank">Bilawal Bhutto Zardari</a> would participate in the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/doval-asks-sco-members-to-respect-sovereignty-seek-no-unilateral-military-superiority-1204716.html" target="_blank">SCO</a>) meeting in India next month.</p>.<p>Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch announced it at a weekly media briefing here.</p>.<p>“Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be leading the Pakistan delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) being held on May 4-5, 2023, in Goa, India,” she said, ending weeks-long speculation if he would attend the conference in-person.</p>.<p>She said the Pakistan foreign minister would be attending the meeting as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had invited him to attend the SCO moot.</p>.<p>“Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” Baloch said.</p>.<p>It would be the highest-level visit to India by any Pakistani leader in recent years and a possible opportunity to break the ice between the two nations.</p>.<p>The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India’s warplanes pounded a <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/two-jaish-e-mohammad-associates-held-in-jks-pulwama-1190747.html" target="_blank">Jaish-e-Mohammed</a> terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.</p>.<p>The relations further deteriorated after India announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special powers and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union territories in August 2019.</p>.<p>The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.</p>.<p>Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.</p>.<p>India and Pakistan became permanent members of the Beijing-based SCO in 2017.</p>
<p>Pakistan announced on Thursday that Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/pakistans-foreign-minister-bilawal-bhutto-says-country-in-perfect-storm-of-crises-1198915.html" target="_blank">Bilawal Bhutto Zardari</a> would participate in the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/doval-asks-sco-members-to-respect-sovereignty-seek-no-unilateral-military-superiority-1204716.html" target="_blank">SCO</a>) meeting in India next month.</p>.<p>Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahrah Baloch announced it at a weekly media briefing here.</p>.<p>“Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be leading the Pakistan delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) being held on May 4-5, 2023, in Goa, India,” she said, ending weeks-long speculation if he would attend the conference in-person.</p>.<p>She said the Pakistan foreign minister would be attending the meeting as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had invited him to attend the SCO moot.</p>.<p>“Our participation in the meeting reflects Pakistan’s commitment to the SCO Charter and processes and the importance that Pakistan accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities,” Baloch said.</p>.<p>It would be the highest-level visit to India by any Pakistani leader in recent years and a possible opportunity to break the ice between the two nations.</p>.<p>The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India’s warplanes pounded a <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/two-jaish-e-mohammad-associates-held-in-jks-pulwama-1190747.html" target="_blank">Jaish-e-Mohammed</a> terrorist training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.</p>.<p>The relations further deteriorated after India announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special powers and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state into Union territories in August 2019.</p>.<p>The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.</p>.<p>Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.</p>.<p>India and Pakistan became permanent members of the Beijing-based SCO in 2017.</p>