On 12 September 2024, Islamabad hosted the 23rd meeting of the Council of External Trade and Economy Ministers of the SCO Member States held in a hybrid format led by the Pakistani side.
The SCO Secretariat delegation was headed by SCO Deputy Secretary General Sohail Khan. In his address he noted the importance of implementing the decisions of the Astana Summit to achieve practical results of cooperation in the economic track. He also emphasised that the effective resolution of economic issues in the SCO space requires active involvement of the business community.
The sides exchanged views on the prospects for deepening trade and economic cooperation among the SCO member states, including in the context of preparations for the next meeting of the Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) Council to be held in Islamabad in October.
During the meeting, the participants presented reports on the activities of the SCO Business Council and the Consortium of SCO Economic Think Tanks.
They signed the following documents: Framework for Cooperation of the SCO Member States in the Sphere of Creative Economy Development, the Concept of Cooperation between Trade Promotion Organisations of the SCO Member States and the Concept of Establishing an Economic Preference Base.
The joint approaches of the authorised agencies of the SCO member states to promoting economic cooperation and mutual trade interests have been recorded in the Ministerial Statement on Fair Trade and Sustainable Development adopted as a follow-up to the meeting.