The two-day event begins on Friday in the city of Varanasi, considered the spiritual capital of India, state of Uttar Pradesh, in the north of the country.

The plan should include actions related to the promotion of the SCO tourism brand, the cultural heritage of the member states, the exchange of information and digital technology, and mutual cooperation in the spheres of medical and health tourism, All India Radio reported.

Varanasi was designated the first cultural capital of the SCO, currently chaired by India and also integrated by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran.

The member countries of the SCO represent about 42 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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