Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arrived in Goa on Thursday to attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference, the country’s first such high-level visit to India since 2011. Bhutto Zardari’s visit comes as relations between India and Pakistan remain strained on a number of problems, including Islamabad’s continued backing for cross-border terrorism. According to people familiar with the preparations for the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) conclave, there is no plan for a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bhutto Zardari as there has been no request from the Pakistani side. “I’m on my way to India’s Goa. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation CFM, he will lead the Pakistan delegation. My decision to attend this meeting demonstrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the SCO charter,” Bhutto Zardari said ahead of his arrival. “I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries during my visit, which is solely focused on the SCO,” he said. The foreign minister of Pakistan is visiting India for the first time since 2011.
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