Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, has highlighted the role of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in promoting dialogue and peaceful resolution of regional conflicts.

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) ahead of the largest-ever SCO summit in Tianjin in northern China from 31 August - 1 September, Iqbal stressed that modern challenges are increasingly cross-border and require collaboration rather than confrontation.

“I think one very important lesson of our times is that these challenges that we are discussing are now cross-border challenges. They are global challenges. They are regional challenges. No single country can fight them on its own. So the solution to most of these problems is more collaboration. Solution to conflicts is not fighting wars. It is through engagement, through dialogue. Every conflict can be solved by dialogue,” Iqbal said.

The minister warned that promoting conflicts could have far-reaching consequences.

“If we pick up arms, if we promote conflicts that will eventually threaten the whole world because we have seen that conflicts while they take place in one region can impact the whole of the world by disrupting either value chains or disrupting supply chains or disrupting peace,” he said.

Iqbal highlighted the SCO’s potential role in de-escalating tensions.

“So therefore under SCO, we do hope that the regional conflicts can be solved through dialogue, through greater support by SCO member countries to bring conflicting parties on table. So I think maybe SCO can play a role in bringing about de-escalation in different parts of the world through promoting dialogue through its platform,” he added.

Leaders from more than 20 countries, along with representatives from 10 international organisations, are expected to attend the high-level meetings in northern China.

Founded in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the SCO has grown into a trans-regional organisation with 10 full members, two observers, and 14 dialogue partners.

Together, the members cover more than 60% of Eurasia and nearly half of the world’s population, reflecting its growing influence in regional and global affairs.

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