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India has extended invitations to several nations, including member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), for the upcoming Civilisational Dialogue Forum, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from November 20 to 22.
Responding to a question from ANI during a media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that preparations are underway for the event in the national capital, underscoring India's readiness to welcome participating delegations. "Several countries, including the SCO members, have been invited to this dialogue, which is to take place in New Delhi, and that is where it is. We look forward to hosting this Civilizational Dialogue," Jaiswal said. The inaugural session of the SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum, an initiative proposed by India to foster cultural exchange and people-to-people ties across Eurasia, is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from November 20 to 22. Alongside full SCO member states, India has also invited dialogue partners and observer countries to participate in the forum. Notably, India has invited all 10 member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), including Pakistan, to participate in the inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum, scheduled to be held in New Delhi. The invitation comes as earlier, on October 20, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India will host the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum by the end of this year, inviting all member countries to participate in the initiative aimed at strengthening cultural ties and mutual understanding. Addressing the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Singh highlighted India's longstanding friendship with Tajikistan and its close ties with Central Asian countries. "At the end of this year, India will host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum. We invite all SCO countries to participate in it," Singh said. The Defence Minister also referred to the 25-year journey of the SCO, noting that leaders had reviewed the organisation's achievements and discussed its future during the SCO Summit in Bishkek. India gives great importance to our long-standing friendship with Tajikistan and our bond with Central Asian countries. During the SCO Summit in Bishkek, our leaders had outlined the 25 years of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. That occasion was about reviewing our shared journey as well as deliberating on the path to the future, he said. Singh recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for concrete steps to strengthen security, connectivity and opportunities across the SCO region, adding that the message remained particularly relevant for the Council of Heads of Government. Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was also present during the meeting. The developments come as Pakistan formally assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the 2026-2027 term on September 1, 2026, taking over from Kyrgyzstan following the SCO summit in Bishkek. The SCO currently comprises 10 member states -- Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.India became a full member of the organisation in 2017. The grouping also has Afghanistan and Mongolia as observer states and 15 dialogue partners. (ANI)
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