ISLAMABAD: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has been playing an important role towards building peace and stability in the region.

This was highlighted by speakers during a webinar titled ‘Post Dushanbe SCO Summit 2021-Outcomes, Regional Complexities and Way Forward’, organised by Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS).

Representatives of Pakistan-SCO Friendship Forum were of the view that the SCO is providing opportunities to member countries to create an environment of cooperation in diverse sectors.

Ms Farhat Asif, president of IPDS moderated the entire session.

Speaking on the occasion, Naveed Shehzad, director (SCO) Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave a comprehensive briefing about the SCO summit and the role of Pakistan in it.

Dr Andrey Kortunov, director-general, Russian International Affairs Council, discussed the regional dynamics of the SCO summit.

Dr Kang Jie, the associate research fellow of China Institute of International Studies spoke about the role of SCO’s expansion.

Kabuljon Sabirov, director of SCO Centre for Public Diplomacy, shared a comprehensive overview of the SCO summit’s outcomes and highlighted the role of Uzbekistan in the upcoming one.

Dr Vladimir Evseev, head of the CIS Institute’s Department of Eurasian Integration and SCO Development in Russia said that Russia, China and Pakistan are important for Afghanistan, adding, that we need to find points of convergence rather than divergence.

Dr Anton Dudaronak from The Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research (Belarus) said that the international community must play its integral role towards regional peace. Academicians, students, and faculty members from different parts of the world participated in the webinar.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2021