On April 29, 2026, in Bishkek, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Nurlan Yermekbayev participated in the regular Meeting of Heads of Tourism Administrations of SCO Member States, which was chaired by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic.
In his address the Secretary-General among other topics spoke about plans to more actively engage SCO dialogue partners in the SCO activities, including the possible holding of a forum with their participation, as well as the organization of trips for representatives of tourism agencies from SCO countries to dialogue partner states.
It was also proposed to consider the possibility of holding events in the SCO–ASEAN–BRICS format emphasizing the relevance of such interaction.
Heads of delegations assessed the joint work carried out over the past period, exchanged views on the current level of cooperation in the field of tourism, spoke in favor of liberalizing the visa regime and put forward a number of constructive proposals.
Meeting participants noted the contribution of the city of Cholpon-Ata as the SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital (2025–2026) and expressed support for the candidacy of the city of Lahore (Islamic Republic of Pakistan) to be granted a similar status for the period 2026–2027.
Following the Meeting of Heads of Tourism Administrations of SCO Member States a Protocol was signed.
On the sidelines of the event, SCO Secretary-General met with Lu Yingchuan, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China.
The parties discussed issues of developing practical cooperation in the field of tourism within the SCO framework, including the holding of thematic forums aimed at strengthening interaction between relevant agencies and business circles, with the involvement of dialogue partner countries.
The meeting was held in a friendly and constructive atmosphere.