Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on Friday reaffirmed India's commitment to its partnership with Central Asia and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Singh highlighted India's priorities in the grouping while attending the SCO Conference on 'Central Asia – The Core of SCO: A Space of Peace and Joint Development' in Tajikistan's Dushanbe.
"Participated in the SCO Conference on “Central Asia – The Core of SCO: A Space of Peace and Joint Development” in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Reaffirmed India’s commitment to our enduring partnership with Central Asia and SCO. Highlighted India’s priorities in the SCO, including youth engagement, cultural exchanges, strengthening regional connectivity and civilizational linkages, including India holding the 1st SCO Civilization Dialogue Forum, in Kolkata, next month," he wrote on X.
Singh arrived in Dushanbe on Thursday for a two-day official visit to attend the SCO conference being hosted by Tajikistan, the current Chair of the SCO Heads of Government Council. "The Conference theme aligns well with India’s SCO priorities on youth, culture and civilization.
India recognises Central Asia as India’s extended neighbourhood, and a key partner in promoting regional connectivity, security, and prosperity," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. During his visit, Singh is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from member states on the sidelines of the conference.
Last September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed commencing a Civilizational Dialogue Forum within the SCO to foster greater people-to-people ties and cultural understanding. He made the statement during the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, held in China's Tianjin.
The SCO was established on June 15, 2001, with its founding members being China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. In 2017, India and Pakistan joined it. In 2023, Iran became a member, followed by Belarus in 2024, bringing the total number of SCO member states to 10.
The SCO has two observer states -- Afghanistan and Mongolia -- and 14 dialogue partners -- Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Maldives, Myanmar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.