New Delhi: India’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) national coordinator and senior Indian diplomat Alok Dimri highlighted connectivity, trade and transit as key areas of cooperation as Islamabad begins its year-long presidency of the grouping.Speaking to Pakistan Television in Islamabad, Dimri said he was there for the first three-day meeting of SCO national coordinators under Pakistan’s chairmanship, which concluded on September 30.“This is the first opportunity for me to come to Pakistan,” Dimri said, adding that the SCO programme under Pakistan’s presidency would continue for a year and culminate in the organisation’s summit in Islamabad. The video, along with messages by National Coordinators of other members, was posted by the Pakistan foreign ministry.He said the SCO brought together countries across the Eurasian and Asian landmass and provided a platform to develop an agenda centred on their “well-being, prosperity and welfare”.“Connectivity is a very important issue. Regional connectivity, trade, transit are some of the important issues which have been discussed, and progress is being made,” he said.His appearance on Pakistani state television comes against the backdrop of a deeply strained India-Pakistan relationship. New Delhi and Islamabad have had no sustained bilateral political engagement for a decade, with the two countries also engaged in a four-day military confrontation in May last year following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.However, Indian officials have continued to participate in multilateral meetings involving Pakistan. India joined the organisation as a full member in 2017 and has continued to attend its meetings and mechanisms, including those hosted by Pakistan.External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar travelled to Islamabad in October 2024 for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, the first visit by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nearly nine years.Dimri said the SCO’s rotating presidency provided an opportunity for member states to maintain cooperation across areas covered by the organisation.“So, this is an annual rotational ritual of SCO in which we have participated. We hope that SCO’s ongoing cooperation verticals will have a new growth, and we will move forward,” he said.He added that he was pleased to have had the opportunity to visit Pakistan for the first time.Dimri also referred to the Civilisation Dialogue Forum proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying SCO leaders had agreed at the last summit in Bishkek that there should be such a forum among member states. India is scheduled to host the first edition of the forum on Nov 20.Lahore has been designated an SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27, with cultural activities planned in Pakistan during the organisation’s year under Islamabad’s presidency.Dimri said the Indian delegation had received a briefing at the Pakistan National Council of Arts in Islamabad and visited other venues linked to the programme.He also welcomed the recent decision to add English as an official and working language of the SCO alongside Russian and Chinese, which will be implemented for the first time during the meetings in Pakistan.