Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said Islamabad has been invited to the November 20-22 event in Delhi, where PM Modi will attend the inaugural ceremony
India will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi from November 20 to 22, with 15 countries having confirmed their participation so far, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday. He also expressed hope that Pakistan would attend the event, saying its civilisational and cultural evolution was closely linked to India's.
The forum will be held at the historic Purana Quila, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to attend the inaugural ceremony, Shekhawat said.
Speaking to reporters at Bharat Mandapam ahead of the event, the minister was asked whether India-Pakistan tensions over terrorism and the border-related differences between India and China would feature in the discussions.
"The concern that you have expressed in the context of our two neighbouring countries... I reckon that Pakistan's civilisational and cultural evolution is not different from us. It is less than 80 years only since they separated from us (referring to the 1947 Partition of the Indian subcontinent); their evolution has happened parallelly with us. Therefore, there doesn't seem to be a possibility that they will have any differences over this (cultural civilisation) subject," the Union minister said.
Shekhawat said geopolitical, strategic and bilateral matters were distinct from the cultural engagement that the forum sought to promote.
He said the discussions would focus on strengthening cultural connections and encouraging better understanding between participating nations.
"There are geopolitical, strategic and bilateral relations, and "going a step further, (at this forum) there will be discussions on how we can reinforce a cultural relation, in coming time, and can establish a better dialogue and harmony between countries, and in between the people of the countries"," he said.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked during the weekly media briefing on Friday whether Pakistan had communicated its decision on attending the forum.
"Regarding your question on the invitation for the SCO Civilisational Dialogue, several countries, including the SCO members, have been invited for this dialogue, which is to take place in New Delhi, and that is where it is. We look forward to holding or hosting the this civilisational dialogue," he said.
Shekhawat said India had extended invitations to 25 countries, of which 15 had confirmed their participation. These include China, Kazakhstan, Iran, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Turkiye and Sri Lanka.
He added that the number of participating countries was expected to rise further.
On whether Pakistan would join the event, the minister said, "As far as your question related to Pakistan is concerned, I should be hopeful that they would come; their confirmation will come. Rest will depend on the situation and elapsing time."
Pakistan's National Heritage and Culture Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi has reportedly been invited to attend the forum. The invitation is significant as it is perhaps the first time New Delhi has invited a senior Pakistani minister to an event in India since the May 7-10 military hostilities last year following Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan confirmed on November 6 that Islamabad had received an invitation from India.
"A final decision on participation will be made by the country's leadership following institutional consultations," he said during his weekly media briefing.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became permanent members in 2017, while Iran joined the grouping in 2023.
According to the organisation's website, its primary objectives include strengthening mutual trust, friendship and good-neighbourliness, besides promoting multilateral cooperation to maintain peace, security and stability across the region.
Apart from its member states, the SCO also has observer countries and dialogue partners. The 15 countries with dialogue partner status are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, Laos, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Sri Lanka.
The Civilisational Dialogue Forum is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of External Affairs.
Shekhawat said India wanted the SCO to evolve beyond being a platform for geopolitical and economic engagement and also serve as a forum for promoting shared civilisational heritage and human values.
The minister said several sessions would be organised on November 21 and 22, covering four broad themes, including civilisational and cultural expression, art and architecture, and language, literature and manuscripts.
With the forum taking place against the backdrop of multiple ongoing conflicts around the world, Shekhawat was asked whether cultural engagement could help resolve international disputes."Culture has the strength to build trust between peoples, civilisations and countries, but it is not the only factor that can eliminate all issues and resolve all the issues and address challenges."
"But, it has the power to initiate dialogues and build bridges of trust between countries and civilisations," he asserted.
Explaining the choice of Purana Quila as the venue, Shekhawat said the historic monument reflected Delhi's and India's layered cultural and civilisational history.
"Delhi's Purana Quila, for Delhi and for the country, has been a witness to our multi-level cultural and civilisational evolution. It shows evidence of civilisations represented in multiple layers. It is an apt venue, he said, adding that it is both "relevant and important".
India plans to use the historic site and its excavated remains to showcase the country's civilisational history, spanning more than 5,000 years, to the visiting delegates.
Shekhawat was also asked about Pakistan's references to the Indus Valley Civilisation following India's decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after the Pahalgam attack last year.
Responding to the question, the minister said, "When a country, or anyone tries to speak of about 5,000 years of Indus Valley Civilisation - did they exist at the time? The question ends there. Their story is just 80 years old, not longer."
He further said that multinational nominations by SCO member countries seeking UNESCO recognition for heritage sites would also be discussed during the forum.
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