By The South Asia Times

BISHKEK - Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a series of diplomatic engagements with senior regional officials ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Dar had a “warm and cordial interaction” with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin and Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev ahead of the SCO meeting.

The informal interaction brought together senior diplomats from Pakistan, Iran, Russia and Central Asia at a time of heightened regional security and geopolitical challenges.

Separately, Dar met with İbrahim Kalın, director of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), on the sidelines of the SCO gathering.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, the two officials exchanged views on regional developments and matters of mutual interest, including the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement and the inaugural meeting of its Strategic Political and Defence Committee, which was held in Istanbul on Monday.

They also discussed recent developments in the region, while Dar stressed the importance of continued coordination and diplomatic engagement to promote regional peace, security and stability.

The meetings come shortly after Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia held the inaugural meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee under the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement in Istanbul.

The three countries agreed at that meeting to further institutionalize their cooperation, establish a secretariat in Saudi Arabia and strengthen collaboration in defence industries, joint production and technology development.

Dar’s engagement with Kalın therefore provides an additional channel for consultations between Pakistan and Türkiye on the implementation of the agreement and wider regional security issues.

The SCO summit in Bishkek brings together leaders and senior officials from member states at a time when developments in South and Central Asia, the Middle East and wider Eurasia remain major issues for regional diplomacy.

Pakistan has sought to strengthen diplomatic engagement with neighbouring and regional countries as it faces security challenges along its borders and seeks greater economic and connectivity cooperation across the region.

The meeting with officials from Iran, Russia, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan also highlights Islamabad’s engagement with key SCO members ahead of the leaders’ meeting.

The SCO, founded in 2001, has developed into a major Eurasian grouping focused on regional security, economic cooperation and political dialogue. Its membership includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran and several Central Asian states.

Pakistan has been a full member of the organisation since 2017 and has consistently used the SCO platform to promote regional connectivity, counterterrorism cooperation and political dialogue.