India invites Pakistan to SCO forum in Delhi for first time since May 2025 war

India has invited Pakistan’s National Heritage and Culture Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi on November 20 and 21, according to Indian media reports.

Indian media reported that Khichi had been invited to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue Forum, scheduled for November 20 and 21.

The last visit by a Pakistani minister to India was in May 2023, when then-foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari travelled to Goa for a meeting of SCO foreign ministers.

The invitation comes despite continuing tensions between the two countries following their military stand-off in May 2025.

The forum is intended to encourage cultural exchanges and closer people-to-people ties among SCO member states, with discussions expected to cover shared heritage, art, literature and traditions.

Pakistan and India have continued to participate in the organisation’s activities despite their bilateral tensions. Islamabad hosted a meeting of SCO national coordinators in September to discuss cooperation and activities under Pakistan’s chairmanship.

Pakistan took over the SCO Council of Heads of State chairmanship for 2026–27 in September and is set to host the bloc’s leaders’ summit in Islamabad in August 2027.

The Foreign Office has said Pakistan’s priorities during its chairmanship include regional connectivity, innovation and economic cooperation.