Varanasi as tourist, cultural capital of SCO for 2022-23
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation endorsed the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in India as the first ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23. Indians have welcomed the announcement and are in a celebratory mood. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that several events would be organized by Uttar Pradesh state in collaboration with the union government to celebrate this recognition of Varanasi. The leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on September 16 endorsed the city of Varanasi as the first ever tourist and cultural capital of the grouping for the year 2022-23. The Indian delegation at the SCO summit held in the Uzbek city of Samarkand was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Uzbekistan handed over the rotating presidency of the grouping to India for the year 2022-23.Kwatra said the SCO announcement is a befitting recognition of the historic city and opens the door for greater cultural and people-to-people ties between India and the region. Kwatra added the SCO also decided to set up a special working group on start-ups and innovation at India`s initiative. India would be its permanent chair. The summit also decided to give permanent membership of SCO to Belarus and Iran.