Wed Oct 16 08:42:49 UTC 2024: ## India and Pakistan Leaders Shake Hands at SCO Summit Amidst Tensions
**Islamabad, Pakistan** – A historic handshake between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took place on Wednesday at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad. This marked the first visit by an Indian Foreign Minister to Pakistan in nine years and the first interaction between the leaders since the SCO Foreign Minister’s meeting in May 2023.
While the gesture was seen as a positive step towards mending relations, Jaishankar addressed the summit, criticizing “unilateral” connectivity moves in the region, a clear reference to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He highlighted that “three evils” – cross-border terrorism, extremism, and separatism – hinder trade, travel, and people-to-people relations. He emphasized that cooperation must be based on mutual respect, territorial integrity, and genuine partnerships, not unilateral agendas.
Jaishankar’s remarks come against a backdrop of strained relations between India and Pakistan, with the two nations embroiled in a long-standing territorial dispute in Kashmir. The SCO Foreign Minister’s meeting in May 2023 was marred by an acrimonious exchange between Jaishankar and then-Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Despite the tensions, both leaders exchanged greetings and posed for photographs, demonstrating a willingness to engage in dialogue. The SCO summit, chaired by Prime Minister Sharif, will see the signing of several documents including the SCO Economic Preference Base and a Framework for Cooperation in creative economy development.
The two-day meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government is expected to focus on regional security and economic cooperation, with a particular emphasis on promoting trade and investment within the SCO framework.
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