On Friday, leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) approved the holy city of Varanasi as the organisation’s first tourism and cultural capital for 2022-23. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told a news conference.
The Indian delegation, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended the SCO summit in the historic city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan handed over the group’s 2022-23 presidency to India.

“Prime Minister Modi thanked all member states for supporting Varanasi to become the SCO’s first tourism and cultural capital in the upcoming 2022-23,” Kwatra said. “This is a fitting recognition of this historic city and opens the door to strengthening cultural and civic ties between India and the region,” he said.

The foreign secretary said the Uttar Pradesh government would work with the centre to organise several events to celebrate the recognition of Varanasi. The SCO has also decided to set up a start-up and innovation working group on India’s initiative, Kwatra said. India will be its permanent chairman, he said.

The summit also decided to grant Belarus and Iran permanent membership in the SCO. The SCO was established in 2001 at a summit in Shanghai by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has become one of the largest cross-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became their permanent members in 2017.