India Invites All 10 SCO Members, Including Pakistan, for Major Dialogue Forum
India invites all 10 SCO members, including Pakistan, to the inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi this November.
In a significant diplomatic move, India has extended invitations to all ten member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), including Pakistan, to attend the inaugural SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum. The high-profile event is set to take place in New Delhi from November 20 to 22.
A Vision for Cultural Synergy
The announcement follows a statement by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 20, where he revealed India's intention to host this first-of-its-kind forum by the end of the year. The primary objective of the initiative is to foster mutual understanding and strengthen the cultural ties that bind the member nations together.
Speaking at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Rajnath Singh emphasized the deep-rooted friendship India shares with Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries. He noted that the forum serves as a platform to build upon these longstanding bonds.
Reflecting on 25 Years of the SCO
The Defence Minister took the opportunity to reflect on the 25-year journey of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. He mentioned that during the SCO Summit in Bishkek, leaders had carefully reviewed the organization's milestones and deliberated on the strategic path forward for the future.
Furthermore, Singh highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's previous calls for the region to take concrete steps toward enhancing connectivity, security, and creating new opportunities across the SCO member states, asserting that these goals remain highly relevant for the Council of Heads of Government.
A Stern Warning Against Terrorism
While the forum focuses on civilization and culture, the Defence Minister did not mince words regarding security threats. He called for a collective and uncompromising global approach to combat terrorism, labeling it one of the most severe threats to peace and development.
Singh outlined the devastating impact of terrorism, stating that it does more than just claim innocent lives; it disrupts commerce, halts investment, radicalizes societies, and robs the youth of their potential.
"There should be no double standards in dealing with terrorism, and no place for those who finance, support or provide safe havens to terrorists. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively dismantled," Singh asserted.
The SCO Landscape
The meeting in Dushanbe saw the presence of Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. This diplomatic engagement comes at a time when Pakistan has formally assumed the rotating chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for the 2026-2027 term, having taken over from Kyrgyzstan on September 1, 2026.
The SCO currently consists of 10 member states:
- India (Full member since 2017)
- Pakistan
- China
- Russia
- Belarus
- Iran
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Uzbekistan
Beyond its core members, the organization also includes Afghanistan and Mongolia as observer states, along with 15 dialogue partners, making it a pivotal bloc in Eurasian geopolitics.