Varanasi endorsed as first ever SCO tourist and cultural capital

Samarkand: The SCO member countries on Friday endorsed Varanasi as the first ever SCO tourist and cultural capital during the upcoming year 2023.
Briefing on the SCO Summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “Prime Minister Modi thanked the SCO member states for endorsing Varanasi as the first ever SCO tourist and cultural capital during the upcoming year 2022-23. This is the befitting recognition of the historic city Varanasi and opens the doors for greater cultural people to people ties between and the region.”
He informed that there would be several events by the government of UP in collaboration with central government which would be organized in Varanasi to celebrate this recognition.
The SCO has also decided to create a Special Working Group on Startup and Innovation.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his intervention in the Summit said that India is ready to share her experience of Startups and Innovation to other SCO member countries.
“There are over 70,000 start-ups in India today, of which over 100 are unicorns. This experience of ours can be of use to many other SCO members as well. For this purpose, we are ready to share our experience with the member countries of SCO by establishing a new Special Working Group on Startups and Innovation,” the Prime Minister said.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that India would be a permanent Chair of this group.
The SCO has also recognized another Indian initiative through the setting up of an Expert Working Group on traditional medicine.
Addressing the Summit, Prime Minister Modi said that SCO members should increase cooperation on traditional medicine.
“We should increase cooperation on traditional medicine among SCO countries. For this, India will take initiative on a new SCO Working Group on Traditional Medicine,” the Prime Minister said.
Briefing on the Summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that Prime Minister Modi shared India’s perspective on the regional and international situation and the issues of regional peace and security including in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister emphasized on the centrality of the aspirations and needs of the Central Asian Republics in the SCO.
He said that the Prime Minister emphasized the need for greater cooperation to fight terrorism in the region.
He emphasized the important role that SCO can play including through the work of SCO
Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, Kwatra added.
The Foreign Secretary said that the Prime Minister also emphasized the need for better regional connectivity which is absolutely essential for greater economic and trade cooperation between India and SCO member countries.
Prime Minister reiterated support for the ongoing expansion of the SCO.
In this context, we welcome Iran and Belarus as new member states, Kwatra added.
Prime Minister Modi emphasized the need for substantive cooperation in the field of trade and economy, humanitarian and development partnerships and using the millennia old civilization ties among the SCO member states.
Kwatra said that on terrorism, SCO agreed to work towards developing a unified list of terrorists, separatist and extremist organizations whose activities are prohibited on the territories of the SCO members.
Each of the SCO member states was very clear in recognizing the threat that this challenge poses to our region, he added.
The Foreign Secretary termed the Samarkand visit as productive and useful.
“You can clearly see, recognize and appreciate very productive and useful conversation both with the members of the SCO and with the leaders that I mentioned,” he said.
We have been able to contribute quite successfully to the substance of SCO agenda, the Foreign Secretary added.
Responding to a query on whether the Chinese side requested for a bilateral with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kwatra said that all the meetings that were scheduled for which the requests came to us were factored in and all the meetings took place as per the schedule.
Whatever, I am not briefing you, obviously the meetings didn’t take place, I don’t think there is anything