Islamabad: (Parliament Times) With mix of theoretical and visits to the Embassies of the Member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) including Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan for the briefing sessions, Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies has pioneered in partnership with National University of Modern Languages (NUML) to organize a one week Certificate Course on “Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO)”.
The final Certificate distribution ceremony was held at NUML with H.E. Mr. Erik Beishembiev, Ambassador of Krgyz Republic to Pakistan. It is also important to note here that after the SCO Qingdao Summit of SCO Heads of States, the rotation Chairmanship of SCO is with the Kyrgyz Republic and will host the next Summit of the Heads of States. Among others were the DG NUML and other officials from the University. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Erik pointed out the significance of the SCO and lauded the efforts of IPD and NUML in order to promote the awareness about the significance of the organization. Ambassador of Kyrgyz Republic distributed the Certificate to the participants after the successful participation of the course. Earlier last year, the Institute has organized a Three Months Diploma Course on SCO which was a huge success. The participants of the Certificate Course were from across the length and breadth of Pakistan to learn and utilize the knowledge into their professional lives and they were academics, researchers, students, businessmen and women, journalist and members of the civil society. The course was designed in order to get the knowledge to acquire maximum benefit out of the fact that Pakistan has recently joined the Organization as Full member. Having 20 % of the world’s GDP, 75% of world’s energy resources and covering 42 % of the world populations with four declared nuclear powers, Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO) was established in 2001 as intergovernmental organization of 18 countries, with currently having 8 permanent members including Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and India while Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia are observer states with six ‘dialogue partners’ that include Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Apart from having the primary focus on security, the SCO has exceptional potential for deeper economic opportunities between member states. With emergence of One Belt, One Road Initiative of 1 Trillion USD in multiple projects for building communications infrastructures across the South Asia, Russia and Europe, this organization is having multifarious opportunities for Pakistan.
