NEW DELHI: 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 from November 20 to 22.
The invitation comes as, 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.
Rajnath Singh Represents India at the SCO Meeting in Dushanbe
On 20 October 2026, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh represented India at the 25th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The two-day meeting, held on 19-20 October, focused on regional cooperation, economic development, connectivity and the functioning of the organisation’s institutions.
India’s central message was about terrorism. Singh urged the SCO member states to work together to eliminate the entire ecosystem of terrorism. He stressed that terrorism cannot be justified, that there must be no double standards in dealing with it, and that those who finance, support or provide safe havens to terrorists must not be allowed to escape accountability. He made these remarks with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar present at the meeting.
Connectivity should respect national sovereignty. He pointed to the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chabahar Port as projects that can connect Central Asia to wider markets. He also called for simpler customs procedures, digital documentation, better logistics and interoperable digital systems to cut trade costs. He stressed that connectivity projects should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, adding that projects not founded on these principles will not be sustainable.
Another priority was economic cooperation. Singh called for resilient supply chains, increased trade and investment, and technology-driven development. He said economic cooperation should be inclusive and should benefit all sections of society, including young people, entrepreneurs, farmers and small businesses. India backed the SCO’s Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Programme Action Plan for 2026-30.
India asked for tangible results from the SCO. Singh stressed that more institutions do not necessarily mean better results. New mechanisms should meet clearly identified needs, avoid duplication and yield tangible benefits, he said. He also welcomed the decisions, taken at the Bishkek Summit, to make the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe permanent SCO bodies.
India has announced a cultural initiative. Singh said India would host the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum by the end of 2026 and invited all member countries to participate. The forum was proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2025 SCO summit in Tianjin, and it aims to strengthen people-to-people bonds and promote the exchange of civilisational heritage, art, literature and traditions.
Singh also underscored India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, start-up ecosystem and women-led development. He discussed clean energy, climate resilience and sustainable development projects supporting the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Mission LiFE and the Global Biofuel Alliance. He appealed for cooperation that creates opportunities and brings practical benefits to the people.
What were the takeaways? The meeting adopted a Joint Communiqué, approved the SCO budget for 2027, and endorsed the Action Plan for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation for 2026-30, along with other financial and administrative decisions. Uzbekistan has assumed the chairmanship of the Council of Heads of Government.
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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.
During his address, Singh also stressed the need for a collective and uncompromising approach to combating terrorism, describing it as one of the most serious threats to peace and development. “Terrorism not only causes the loss of innocent lives but also disrupts investment and commerce. It radicalises society and deprives our youth of the opportunities they deserve,” he said.
Emphasising that there should be no double standards in tackling terrorism, Singh called for the dismantling of the entire ecosystem supporting the menace. “There should be no double standards in dealing with terrorism, and no place for those who finance, support or provide safe havens to terrorists. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively dismantled,” he added.
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)
