China, Iran among 15 countries to attend SCO Civilisational Forum

China, Kazakhstan, Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are among 15 countries that have confirmed participation in the SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum, Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced on Friday and said that he was "hopeful" that Pakistan will also attend the event that India will host in Delhi later this month. The forum will be held at the historic Purana Quila from November 20-22, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inaugural ceremony, he said. During an interaction with the press at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi ahead of the event, a mediaperson asked if India-Pakistan "issues related to terrorism" and "issues related to the border" with China would be raised during the forum.

Delhi: On the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat says, "...Regarding the two countries—our neighbouring countries—about which you have expressed concern, I believe that as far as Pakistan is concerned, Pakistan's civilization and cultural development is no different from ours. It has been less than 100 years—less than 80 years—since they separated from us; otherwise, their evolution happened alongside ours. Therefore, at least on this subject, there is no possibility whatsoever of us having any kind of differences. However, as I told you in detail, going even a step beyond our geopolitical relations, our strategic relations, and our bilateral relations, discussions on this subject will be held from the perspective of how we can reinforce cultural relations so that, in the times to come, they can establish better dialogue and coordination between countries and between the people of these countries"

— IANS (@ians_india) November 13, 2026

The countries that have confirmed participation include China, Kazakhstan, Iran, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Turkiye and Sri Lanka, he said, adding that he was assured that this number will further increase.The SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of External Affairs.Shekhawat said India’s aim was to ensure that the SCO was not merely a geopolitical and economic platform but also a forum for shared civilisational heritage and human values.