Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar on Friday received Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on his arrival in Goa to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting.
The CFM meeting was scheduled to begin in the morning and the “decision document” would be signed by noon, followed by a working lunch.
FM Bilawal – who is leading the country’s delegation – arrived in Goa on Thursday to attend the two-day SCOCFM meeting.
📸 FM @BBhuttoZardari among SCO Foreign Ministers participating in Council of Foreign Ministers in Goa.#PakFMatSCO
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) May 5, 2023
🇵🇰🤝🌍 pic.twitter.com/64npTyMFsB
Meanwhile, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that India has not given any reason to complain to Pakistan regarding Bilawal’s visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Goa.
“They didn’t give us a chance to complain. So far everything is fine,” he said in an exclusive interview to JEE News.
Asked if Bilawal’s handshake with his Indian counterpart Jaishankar was a reflection of past bitterness, Baloch said: “You are giving it too much importance. It was a normal ritual.”
A day earlier, Bilawal arrived in the Indian city on his maiden visit to India in hopes of a “successful” meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization foreign ministers.
After his arrival, Bilawal became the first Pakistani foreign minister to visit the neighboring country after a gap of almost 12 years.
Speaking to the media after landing in Goa, the foreign minister said: “I am happy to be here in Goa to attend the SCO meeting. I hope the SCO CFM will be successful.”
The spokesperson further told JEE News that one of the hosts welcomed Bilawal as he did other foreign ministers.
In response to a question regarding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to India in July to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the Foreign Office spokesperson said that it is too early to say anything at the moment.
During the visit, Bilawal – along with his delegation – is scheduled to meet several of his counterparts from different countries.
In a video message he posted on Twitter, the foreign minister said he was due to meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. After that, he will meet the Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan, Bakhtivar Saidov.
After the meetings, Bilawal will attend a dinner in which foreign ministers of all countries will attend. After that, they are ready for interviews with media representatives.
