On 18-20 February 2020, Islamabad was the venue of a meeting of the 9th Defence and Security Expert Working Group (EWG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Attendees included delegations from defence ministries of the SCO member states and an observer state, the Republic of Belarus. The SCO Secretariat was represented by aide Kubanychbek Dzhusayev.
The participants discussed topical matters regarding cooperation between SCO member defence ministries, including those linked with events, scheduled for this year during Russia's SCO Presidency.
The parties coordinated a plan of EWG events for 2020 and also exchanged opinions on the draft Road Map for organising operational information exchange between SCO member states' defence ministries in the field of military security.
They agreed to hold a regular EWG meeting this coming May-June in the Russian Federation and to invite representatives of the Republic of Belarus and Mongolia as observers.
The participants praised the Defence Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for preparing and holding the meeting and expressed their gratitude for the Pakistani side's hospitality and for creating a favourable working environment.