New Delhi: The Minister of State for Culture (I/c) and Minister of state for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma will be attending Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Cultural Ministers Meeting at Sanya in China tomorrow, the 17th of May, 2018. It is the first time that India would be attending the SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting. The meeting will showcase India’s initiatives to actively pursue cultural cooperation with other countries including SCO countries. It will also help to promote cultural relations and people to people contacts with the individual members of this organization through cultural exchange programmes.
India became full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on 9th June, 2017 during the SCO Heads of State Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. It was further activated with the establishment of the SCO Division in MEA and appointment of National Coordinator and Permanent Representative to SCO. It is pertinent to mention that after the expansion of membership from 5 states to 8 states, SCO represents approximately 42% of the world’s population, 20% of its GDP and 22% of the landmass.
