ISLAMABAD — The Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday that Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik had been nominated to represent Pakistan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi from Nov 20-22. In a statement, the FO said the gathering would bring representatives from SCO member states to discuss issues related to civilisational dialogue and cultural understanding.
“The government of Pakistan remains committed to promoting dialogue among civilisations and fostering people-to-people contacts within the SCO framework in a spirit of mutual respect,” the statement said. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on X: “Pakistan who is chairing the SCO Council of Heads of State (CHS) in 2026-27, will participate in SCO Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi this month.” 10 SCO members — including Pakistan — have been invited to participate in the inaugural Civilisational Dialogue. It added that the gathering was proposed by New Delhi.
In a press briefing on Friday, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has invited several SCO member states to take part in the dialogue, adding that New Delhi looks forward to hosting the gathering. Islamabad has a long history of engagement with the SCO through hosting meetings and chairing bodies within the group. It also holds the permanent chairmanship of an SCO working group on poverty alleviation, which focuses on improving living standards across the region.