Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday proposed closer three-way ties with Russia and Mongolia at a meeting with counterparts from the neighbouring countries on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Speaking to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Li said the nation is willing to make contributions to the development and revitalisation of the two countries and the prosperity and stability of the world.

He told Mishustin that China was willing to strengthen trade and energy ties with Russia.

Li added that enhancing cooperation and promoting deeper and practical trilateral cooperation with Russia and Mongolia would better benefit the people of the three countries.

Mongolia is not a member of the SCO, having chosen instead to be an observer state since 2004. The landlocked nation is on the planned route of a major pipeline that Russia wants to build to carry 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas each year from its Yamal region to China.

Meanwhile, Eurasian leaders have gathered in the Pakistani capital Islamabad for the SCO summit.

Addressing the event, Li said the SCO is an important platform for safeguarding regional peace and stability and promoting the development and prosperity of all countries.

In his opening remarks, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for the expansion of Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative.

“Flagship projects like the Belt and Road Initiative of President Xi Jinping, the China-Pakistan economic corridor, which is in its second phase and the international north south transport corridor, should be expanded focusing on developing road, rail and digital infrastructure that enhances integration and cooperation across our region," he said.

Also in attendance was India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is the first Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in nearly a decade with ties between the nuclear-armed rival neighbours continuing to be frosty. (Agencies)