While talking about Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the United States (US) has said that western superpower respects every country’s right to form or join alliance.
According to State Department’s spokesperson Matthew Miller, “the country encourages every country to ensure that its participation in multilateral fora upholds and respects international law and reaffirms the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of all nations.”
Pakistan is hosting a global event after 27 years as day two of SCO summit officially kicked off on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s strategic location has long been seen as a geopolitical asset, but domestic challenges have often prevented it from fully leveraging this position.
It is now believed through active participation in multilateral platforms like the SCO, Pakistan can secure both economic benefits and diplomatic capital.
What is SCO?
The SCO with nine full member countries – including China, India, Iran, Russia and others – was established in 2001 by China and Russia.
Pakistan became a full member of the SCO at its 2017 summit in Kazakhstan, which was attended by former Prime Ministe (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who recently also expressed hope for reviving ties with India.
As of 2021, it accounted for more than 20 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Following the integration of Iran, the bloc now controls 20 per cent of the world’s oil reserves and almost 44 per cent of its natural gas.
