Pakistan’s Climate Minister Musadik Masood Malik will visit India from 20 to 22 November to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi.
This marks the first visit to India by a member of Pakistan’s cabinet since Operation Sindoor, making the trip diplomatically significant amidst strained bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations.
Representatives from all ten SCO member states are expected to attend the conference, which will focus on various aspects of human civilisation, cultural exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people contacts. The Pakistan government confirmed Minister Malik’s participation in an official press statement issued on Friday.
According to the statement, Pakistan supports dialogue based on mutual respect and believes in strengthening people-to-people relations among different countries. Malik will represent Pakistan and present his country’s position at the international gathering.
India had earlier announced that all ten SCO member states were invited to participate. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that invitations had been extended to SCO member countries as well as several other nations.
Jaiswal said India is looking forward to hosting the Civilisational Dialogue in New Delhi, highlighting the importance of strengthening cultural exchanges across Eurasia and promoting people-to-people contacts.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had first publicly announced India’s plan to organise the Civilisational Dialogue on 20 October. With Pakistan now confirming its participation, the conference has drawn considerable international attention. However, it remains to be seen whether the visit will lead to any broader diplomatic developments or contribute to improving the strained bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan.
