On 12 July 2024, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming spoke at an SCO Ministers of Culture Meeting in Vitebsk, the Republic of Belarus, during the International Festival of Arts Slavyansky Bazaar. Attendees included delegations of SCO member states, as well as representatives of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The SCO Secretary-General congratulated Belarus on joining the SCO. He noted that, since its inception, the Organisation prioritised cultural and humanitarian exchanges, while streamlining cultural cooperation mechanisms.

Zhang Ming expressed confidence that the participation of Belarus would make an important contribution to enriching the SCO's cultural and humanitarian dimension.

The heads of delegations exchanged opinions on topical issues of cultural cooperation and voiced multiple initiatives on intensifying joint result-oriented work still further.