ISLAMABAD: Pakistan government will not seek a bilateral meeting between  Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif and and India President Narendra Modi when the two along with the 13 regional leaders would be under one-roof later this week in the historic city of Uzbekistan, Samarkand, to attend the 22nd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, sources said.

highly-placed sources in the Prime Minister's Office told The News that Islamabad might agree if New Delhi wants a formal meeting. The sources suggested that it was possible for two leaders to randomly cross paths during the summit.

Later this week, the Foreign Office will brief on the meetings' final itinerary.

The News said that the first meeting between Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be significant because it will be part of the latter's first visit outside of China since the coronavirus pandemic.
The two countries have a number of topics to cover during the side discussion, including the acceleration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and urgently required Chinese budgetary aid for the economy.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev will be among the leaders who will have bilateral meetings with Sharif on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation .

Despite domestic difficulties, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made plans to attend the summit and meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi.

Uzbekistan took over the chairmanship of the organization from Tajikistan on September 17, 2021.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit (SCO) 2022: According to the Russian news report, Uzbekistan’s President, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, outlined the priorities and tasks of the chairmanship. These include efforts to raise the potential and authority of the organization, ensure peace and stability in the region, reduce poverty, and ensure food security. 

Furthermore, he urged putting together a plan for the development of intraregional trade, which will include measures to eliminate trade barriers, align technical regulations and digitalize customs procedures.

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