Rajnath Singh Announces 1st SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum in India

Dushanbe: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday announced that India will host the first Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum by the end of this year and invited all member countries to participate in it. Singh made these remarks while addressing the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

"India, at the end of this year, will host the first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum. We invite all SCO member countries to participate in it," Singh said.

During the SCO summit of the Council of Heads of State in Tianjin in 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed to create a Civilisational Dialogue Forum to strengthen people-to-people ties and allow sharing of the richness of ancient civilisations, art, literature, and traditions on a global stage.

Singh also mentioned the 25-year journey of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

"At the SCO Summit in Bishkek, our leaders had highlighted the 25-year journey of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. That occasion was not only for reviewing our shared journey but also for deliberations on the future direction."

In Bishkek, Prime Minister Modi had reiterated India's vision for security, connectivity, and opportunity for the SCO.

"These three pillars are mutually reinforcing. Security makes investments possible, and connectivity facilitates trade. Opportunity is what security and connectivity both enable us to provide for our people."

Prime Minister Modi had said, "The time has come to move these three pillars beyond vision and translate them into concrete outcomes. The first and foremost requirement for this is peace and security."

The prime minister said the SCO cooperation should reach people directly.

In Dushanbe, Defence Minister Singh also underlined that India's global initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure contribute to affordable clean energy & climate-resilient development.

He added that Mission LiFE promotes sustainable lifestyles and responsible consumption, while the Global Biofuel Alliance fosters cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions.

The Heads of Delegation adopted the Joint Communique of the 25th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government, including the SCO budget for 2027, relevant financial and administrative decisions, and the PMTEC Action Plan for 2026-2030, according to an official statement released by the Press Information Bureau.

The SCO CHG is an important mechanism of the Organisation responsible for promoting economic and other areas of practical cooperation among Member States. India has been a full member of the SCO since 2017 and continues to participate actively in its various mechanisms.

On the sidelines of the SCO gathering, Singh met Tajikistan Prime Minister Qohir Rosulzoda and underlined the longstanding civilisational ties and deep people to people links between India and Tajikistan.

Singh also met Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on the sidelines of the SCO meeting in Dushanbe.