Foreign Minister Bilawal lands in Goa for SCO meeting

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari landed in Goa on Thursday on his first-ever visit to India.

FM has high hopes for a “successful” meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers.

Bilawal is leading Pakistan’s delegation at the SCO’s Council of Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled to be held on May 4-5 in Goa.

He is also the first Pakistan foreign minister to head to India in over a decade.

 

As reported, a Pakistan Air Force plane transported Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to Goa in India – the direct flight between Karachi and Goa takes about the same time as a Karachi-Lahore flight.

On the other hand, several Pakistan journalists who have gone to Goa to cover the SCO meeting and the Pakistan FM’s visit have to cross the land border at Wagah and take a flight from Amritsar or Delhi to Goa since there are no existing direct flights between the two neighbour countries.

Speaking to the media upon his arrival, the foreign minister said he was “happy” to be arriving in Goa for the SCO.

He said that he expected the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be “successful”.

 

While leaving for India from Karachi, Bilawal in a short video message said, “On my way to Goa, India. Will be leading the Pakistan delegation at the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers. My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of SCO.”

“During my visit, which is focused exclusively on the SCO, I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries,” he added.