India has reached out to Pakistan (and others) to join the very first SCO Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi, happening November 20-22, 2026.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said he is hopeful Pakistan will show up, even with the usual tensions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inauguration of the event, which is all about building cultural bridges among SCO countries.
PM Modi proposed forum, Purana Qila
The idea for this forum came from PM Modi at an earlier SCO summit. It will be held at Purana Qila in Delhi and focus on things like joint nominations for UNESCO sites and celebrating shared heritage.
Even with rocky India-Pakistan relations, inviting everyone highlights how dialogue and cultural connections matter in the region.
So far, 15 countries, including China and Iran, have confirmed they are coming.