CHOLPON-ATA, Kyrgyzstan (Dispatches) -- The final declaration of the 23rd Meeting of Culture Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was signed by the heads of participating delegations, including Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi, bringing the meeting to a close in Kyrgyzstan.
The declaration was signed at the conclusion of the gathering in Cholpon-Ata, where culture ministers and representatives from SCO member states discussed cultural cooperation and regional initiatives.
In the statement, SCO members stressed that the use of force is unacceptable and highlighted the organization’s March 2, 2026 declaration regarding developments surrounding the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The participants expressed condolences to the families of victims of attacks against Iran and voiced their support and solidarity with the Iranian government and people.
The declaration also expressed concern over military attacks on Iranian territory, including strikes affecting cultural and humanitarian centers as well as historical monuments and archaeological heritage sites.
The attacks referenced by the SCO were part of a series of U.S.-Israeli terrorist strikes on Iranian territory that began on February 28, 2026. 
According to Iranian officials, the attacks inflicted significant damage on the country’s cultural heritage. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi reported that at least 149 historical sites and museums across 20 provinces were damaged, including 54 museums and five sites on the World Heritage List. 
Minister of Cultural Heritage Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri also confirmed that over 140 monuments were damaged, with the total losses estimated at around $95 million. 
Damaged sites included the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace and Sa’dabad Palace in Tehran, and the Chehel Sotoun Palace in Isfahan.
Beyond the material destruction, the attacks inflicted deep wounds on Iran’s cultural identity and historical memory. 
Minister Salehi-Amiri emphasized that the damage to sites like Golestan Palace—a UNESCO
 World Heritage site with intricate mirror work and tiled ceilings shattered by shockwaves—represents not just the loss of physical structures but an assault on the nation’s civilizational continuity. 
He described the aggression as a “civilizational war,” noting that monuments across 20 provinces suffered minor to major damage. The restoration effort, which has already begun, is described as a combination of “specialized self-reliance” and international cooperation, with plans to pursue legal accountability through international courts.
The 23rd SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting was held on Sunday in Cholpon-Ata at the Kyrgyz presidential residence, with Salehi attending as Iran’s representative.
During his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Salehi also held meetings with culture ministers from participating countries and took part in a series of cultural programs, including discussions with Iranologists, Persian language scholars and university professors in Kyrgyzstan.
His agenda included attending the opening ceremony of the SCO Culture Ministers’ Meeting, the award ceremony of the International Film Festival of SCO Member States, and an official dinner hosted by Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Culture.
The meeting was held alongside a broader program of cultural events aimed at expanding cooperation among SCO member states in the fields of cinema, heritage, language and cultural exchange.