Islamabad: As Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in India for SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Islamabad is committed to playing its part to advance the shared values of peace and stability in the SCO region.

Sharif also said that Pakistan's decision to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in India reflects our commitment to the SCO Charter and multilateralism.

"Pakistan's decision to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in India reflects our commitment to the SCO Charter & multilateralism. We are committed to playing our part to advance our shared values of peace & stability in the region. We are all for win-win understandings based on connectivity, trade and mutually advantageous cooperation," the Pakistan Prime Minister tweeted.

Pakistan Foreign Affairs Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari earlier today said he is leading his country's delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting in Goa. Zardari said his decision to attend the meeting underlines Pakistan's strong commitment to the SCO charter.

"On my way to Goa, India. Will be leading the Pakistan delegation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization CFM. My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan's strong commitment to the charter of SCO," Bilawal tweeted a video on Thursday.

"During my visit, which is focused exclusively on the SCO, I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries," Zardari added. The Pakistan politician is attending the SCO conclave at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Zardari is the first foreign minister to visit India after a gap of nearly 12 years. In 2011, then Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India.

SCO is an intergovernmental organization established in 2001. The SCO members include Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan besides India.

The theme of India's Chairmanship of SCO in 2023 is 'Secure-SCO'. India attaches special importance to SCO in promoting multilateral, political, security, economic and people-to-people interactions in the region.

This year India is hosting several important SCO meetings including the Foreign Ministers' meeting in Goa from May 4-5.

India took over the rotating presidency of the SCO at the Samarkand SCO Summit in 2022. India had sent formal invitations to all SCO members and the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Russia have confirmed their participation in the meeting.