In a significant diplomatic development, India has issued an invitation to Pakistan’s National Heritage and Culture Minister, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum. The event is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on November 20 and 21, marking the first time India has invited a senior minister from Pakistan since the military hostilities that erupted in May 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent events known as Operation Sindoor.
This invitation aligns with India’s formal obligations as the host of the event to extend invitations to representatives from all SCO member nations. The civilisational dialogue initiative was initially proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO Council of Heads of State summit held in Tianjin in September 2025. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh later formally announced that India would host the forum while addressing the 25th SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on October 20, 2026.
The primary objectives of the forum are to foster cultural engagement, strengthen people-to-people ties across the Eurasian member states, and highlight the shared artistic, literary, and historical heritage of ancient civilisations. The government plans to host the event at one of New Delhi’s iconic monuments, underscoring the cultural significance of the dialogue.
Although India has maintained a frozen stance on bilateral relations with Pakistan for nearly a decade, citing security concerns following the Pathankot and Uri attacks in 2016, New Delhi continues to engage with its neighbour within the necessary constraints of multilateral forums. This current outreach reflects the complexities of managing regional diplomacy while adhering to the protocols of the SCO, an organisation that includes Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and China.
The diplomatic path forward remains focused on regional connectivity and cooperation. Recently, Alok Dimri, India’s national coordinator for the SCO, led an Indian delegation to Islamabad for a national coordinators’ meeting. During that visit, Dimri highlighted the importance of transit and trade while formally noting that the upcoming civilisational dialogue would be hosted in the Indian capital. The Indian delegation’s visit to Islamabad last month was the first of its kind in nearly two years, building upon the engagement established when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Islamabad in October 2024 for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting.
The upcoming summit in New Delhi serves as a critical juncture for the organisation as the member states prepare for the next leadership summit, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year. By hosting the civilisational dialogue, India seeks to maintain its role as an active participant in Eurasian cooperation, even as the bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Islamabad remains strained due to long-standing security and political disagreements.
As preparations for the November event proceed, the focus remains on the broader goals of the SCO to bring together member states across the Asian and Eurasian landmass. The presence of international delegates in New Delhi is intended to provide a platform for showcasing common traditions and fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse history within the region, despite the ongoing diplomatic challenges between the two South Asian neighbours.
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