New Delhi: Varanasi will be the first tourist and cultural capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has announced this. Varanasi has been chosen as the capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23. Uzbekistan handed over the rotating presidency of the grouping to India this year.
Kwatra said that this would be a way to warm the relations of other countries with India. To celebrate this recognition of Varanasi, the Uttar Pradesh government will organize several events in collaboration with the Centre, the Foreign Secretary said.
Kwatra said that the SCO has also decided to form a joint venture working group for startups led by India. He also said that India will be its permanent chairman. The summit also decided to grant permanent membership of SCO to Belarus and Iran.
The SCO was formed by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan at a summit held in Shanghai in 2001. The Indian delegation at the SCO summit held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand was led by the Prime Minister.