20th Session of Culture Ministers of the SCO Member States held virtually

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region Shri G. Kishan Reddy, hosted the 20th Session of Culture Ministers Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States through video conferencing on 3rd April, 2023. The Culture Ministers of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan participated in the meeting. The Culture Ministers of Member States of SCO expressed their views for enhancing cooperation in the field of culture within the SCO framework in the purview of the Agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on cooperation in the field of culture and other such agreements under SCO framework.

In his opening address, Minister of Culture, Shri G Kishan Reddy mentioned the historical and cultural linkages among SCO Nations. He cited the importance of cultural collaborations and dialogue in propagating peaceful coexistence through mutual respect, diversity and inclusiveness. The Minister launched a specially curated digital Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO countries on the occasion.

Citing the aptness of India’s theme of SCO Chairmanship ‘SECURE – Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment’, the Minister stated that Culture lies at the heart of this theme as a binding force that directly contributes towards achieving all these targets. It is only through collectively establishing a ‘Fair and SECURE Culture for LiFE” that we can constructively contribute for overall prosperity in the region.

He appreciated the participation of SCO nations including observer states and dialogue partners in the recent Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO held on 14-15 March 2023 in New Delhi. He highlighted the teachings of Buddha and emphasized the need for these values and practices to be adopted to renew trans-cultural links and shared histories and traditions of SCO nations.

At the end of the 20th Session of Culture Ministers Meeting, the Protocol was adopted and signed by all the Ministers of Culture of the Member States of SCO.

India became a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in June, 2017.

India has hosted two SCO Senior Culture Officials Meeting on 3.2.2023 and 31.3.2023 in virtual format to discuss and formulate the papers for the SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting. M/o Culture hosted the Conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage of SCO Member States, Observer States and Dialogue Partner on14-15th March, 2023, in New Delhi. The Buddhist scholars and delegates from SCO countries participated in the Conference.

During the ongoing 20th Session “SCO Council of Heads of States” Presidency of India, SCO aims at advancing the theme of ‘SECURE’ (Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and Environment), articulated by the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi initially at the SCO Summit in Qingdao in 2018.