Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in India, 24NewsHD TV channel reports. 

The duo discussed matters of mutual interest, bilateral, regional and global affairs. They renewed their resolve to strengthen Pak-Russia and to continue working closely to enhance cooperation in the areas of food security, energy and people-to-people contact.

The FM is in Goa to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting.

وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی شنگھائی تعاون تنظیم کے اجلاس میں شرکت کیلئے گوا آمد

وزارت خارجہ کا اعلیٰ سطح کا وفد بھی وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کے ہمراہ

وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کا ہندوستانی وزارت خارجہ کے اعلیٰ حکام نے ائیرپورٹ پر استقبال کیا@BBhuttoZardari… pic.twitter.com/Vw9hU56mJt

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) May 4, 2023

According to the Foreign Office (FO), the Pakistan delegation is attending the meeting at the invitation of India's Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar who is the current chair of the moot.

In a statement, the FO added that Pakistan’s participation in the two-day meeting reflects the commitment to the SCO charter, processes and the importance Islamabad accords to the region in its foreign policy priorities.

Prior to his arrival in the neighbouring country, the FM posted a video on Twitter and said that his “decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of SCO”. He said he looks forward to constructive discussions with his counterparts from friendly countries.