Varanasi nominated as first SCO cultural and tourism capital

The city of Varanasi has been nominated as the first-ever SCO Tourist and Cultural Capital for the period 2022-2023, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Samarkand on Friday.

The nomination of Varanasi as the first ever SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital will promote tourism, cultural and humanitarian exchanges between India and the SCO member Countries. It also underlines India’s ancient civilizational links with Member States of SCO, especially the Central Asian Republics, an MEA release said.

It said that under the framework of this major cultural outreach programme, a number of events will be hosted in Varanasi during 2022-23, for which guests will be invited to participate from SCO member states. These events are expected to attract Indologists, scholars, authors, musicians and artists, photo journalists, travel bloggers and other invited guests.

The regulations for nomination of the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital were adopted at the Dushanbe SCO Summit in 2021 with an objective of promoting cooperation between the SCO Member States in the field of culture and tourism.

Varanasi is the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said at a media interaction on the summit, that the befitting recognition of the historic city of Varanasi opens the door for great culture and people-to-people ties between India and the region.

“PM Modi thanked all the members states of the SCO for endorsing Varanasi (Kashi) as the first-ever SCO tourist and cultural capital during the upcoming year 2022-23,” Kwatra said.

He said that as part of the declaration of Kashi as the SCO tourist and cultural capital for the upcoming year, there would be several events by the government of Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with the Centre, which would be organised in Varanasi to celebrate this recognition.

Kwatra said that the SCO also approved another Indian initiative through the setting up of an expert working group on traditional medicine.

“India has global leadership capabilities. You would also recall in this context the recent launch of the WHO global centre for traditional medicines,” he said.

Kwatra further said that the leaders also adopted a statement in response to climate change.

The SCO summit in Samarkand was the first in-person meeting of the grouping since the COVID-19 pandemic.