The United Cultures Forum

On September 11-14, 2025, a series of events took place in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, as part of the XI United Cultures Forum.

The central event was the plenary session held on September 13 with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Head of State stressed that the dialogue of cultures is gaining special importance in the era of the development of technologies, including artificial intelligence, which make the world more interconnected and open up opportunities for creativity and innovation. The need to prevent the erosion of the values of freedom and human rights, the loss of cultural diversity and national identity, without which it is impossible to achieve global harmony, was noted.

The United Cultures Forum

On September 11, a meeting on "Back to culture - New opportunities" was held under the chairmanship of Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, which was attended by 38 foreign delegations. Delegations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Russia were present from the SCO member states at the level of relevant ministers; Iran, Belarus, China and Uzbekistan were represented by deputy ministers.

The United Cultures Forum

In his speech, Deputy Secretary General Sohail Khan noted that the theme of the Forum is a call for a return to the fundamental values that unite nations. He noted the enormous potential of the SCO countries, where almost half of the world's population lives, and the rich experience of peaceful coexistence and cultural interaction, which can become a model of harmonious cooperation in the 21st century.

The United Cultures Forum

On September 12, the Secretariat delegation took part in a panel discussion on the topic "Family is in the spotlight" with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Tatiana Golikova, who noted that culture and media should play a key role in strengthening the institution of the family, broadcasting the values of trust and mutual support, reducing anxiety in society.

The United Cultures Forum

On September 13, the Deputy Secretary General spoke at a round table on cultural cooperation within the SCO. He stressed that culture and public diplomacy in the SCO is a strategic resource that strengthens good-neighbourliness and transforms the backbone of the "Shanghai spirit" into a real factor in international life. The Secretariat's commitment to close cooperation with Member States in the run-up to

The United Cultures Forum

The SCO will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026, and is ready to provide organizational and advisory support to initiatives in the field of cultural cooperation and public diplomacy.

On the sidelines of the Forum, Sohail Khan had a conversation with Deputy Minister of Culture of Russia Andrey Malyshev. The sides exchanged views on the results of the SCO Tianjin Summit (September 1, 2025), discussed the implementation of cultural objectives outlined in the Organization's Development Strategy, as well as in the minutes of the meeting of Ministers of Culture of the SCO member states (July 7, 2025, Qingdao, China).