On 13 September 2023, the SCO Secretariat hosted the Day of Culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, held as part of the implementation of a plan between the Secretariat, the Kazakhstani Embassy in Beijing, and the SCO Chinese Committee on Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation during the Republic of Kazakhstan chairmanship.
Event attendees included top SCO Secretariat officials, ambassadors from the SCO member countries, observer countries and dialogue partners, other officials, representatives of public organisations, academic and creative circles in China, as well as foreign diplomats and journalists.
In his welcome remarks, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming said how extremely important it is to promote cooperation in culture, which is a priority area in SCO activities. It was noted that holding a Day of Kazakhstani Culture at the SCO Secretariat helped promote the beautiful cultural traditions of the SCO nations as well as the Shanghai Spirit.
The Turan, an ethnic and folklore band from Kazakhstan, performed as part of the event programme. The guests saw examples of Kazakh ethnic clothes and handiwork, traditional rites, dishes from the national cuisine, and books and photos by Kazakhstani authors.