Lok Sabha Question No. 434 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Cultural Exchange Agreements and Overseas Expeditions
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Thiru D M Kathir Anand, Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO: *434 ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## CULTURAL EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS AND OVERSEAS EXPEDITIONS

- *434. SHRI THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND: SHRI DR. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of Culture be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has signed any agreement with European countries like Greece, Italy, Germany, France as well as Middle-east and South East Asian countries to have Cultural Exchange Programmes to promote heritage and culture and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the expeditions undertaken so far by Indian archaeologists and art historians to various countries during the last ten years; and
- (c) whether the Government has adequate budgetary allocation for sending Indian archaeologists and art historians to various countries and if so, the details thereof along with the funds utilised thereon, year-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) IN RESPECT OF LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *434  FOR  REPLY  ON  23.03.2026  REGARDING CULTURAL EXCHANGE AGREEMENTS AND OVERSEAS EXPEDITIONS ASKED BY Shri  THIRU  D  M  KATHIR  ANAND  AND  DR.  T  SUMATHY  ALIAS  THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN

(a) to (c): Ministry of Culture, Government of India has signed the cultural agreement with 115 countries including Greece, Italy, Germany, France and other European countries, Middle east and South east Asian countries to have Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs) promoting heritage and culture. The list of Countries with whom Ministry of Culture, Government of India has  signed  Cultural  Agreement  is  given  at Annexure-I and  the  list  of  Countries  with  whom Ministry of Culture has signed Cultural Exchange Programme is given at Annexure-II.

In  order  to  take  up  conservation  and  restoration  of  historical  monuments,  teams  are deputed to various countries within the allocated budget of ASI. However, there is no separate budget allocated for expeditions for Indian archaeologists and art historians.

## Annexure-I

Annexure referred to part (a) to (c) in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.434 for 23.03.2026

## List of Countries with whom Ministry of Culture, Government of India has signed Cultural

## Agreement

|   Sl. No. | Name of Country    |   Sl. No. | Name of Country   |   Sl. No. | Name of Country    | Sl. No.   | Name of Country                      |
|-----------|--------------------|-----------|-------------------|-----------|--------------------|-----------|--------------------------------------|
|         1 | Algeria            |        31 | Estonia           |        61 | Malaysia           | 91.       | Seychelles                           |
|         2 | Afghanistan        |        32 | Finland           |        62 | Maldives           | 92.       | Somalia                              |
|         3 | Australia          |        33 | France            |        63 | Mongolia           | 93.       | South Africa                         |
|         4 | Argentina          |        34 | Ghana             |        64 | Mexico             | 94.       | Sudan                                |
|         5 | Armenia            |        35 | Guyana            |        65 | Malta              | 95.       | Sri Lanka                            |
|         6 | Benin              |        36 | Germany           |        66 | Madagascar         | 96.       | Syria                                |
|         7 | Botswana           |        37 | Greece            |        67 | Mauritius          | 97.       | Suriname                             |
|         8 | Bahrain            |        38 | Hungary           |        68 | Morocco            | 98.       | Trinidad and Tobago                  |
|         9 | Bangladesh         |        39 | Nigeria           |        69 | Mozambique         | 99.       | Tanzania                             |
|        10 | Burma (Myanmar)    |        40 | Indonesia         |        70 | Namibia            | 100.      | Tunisia                              |
|        11 | Belize             |        41 | Iran              |        71 | Netherlands        | 101.      | Tajikistan                           |
|        12 | Bolivia            |        42 | Iraq              |        72 | Norway             | 102.      | Thailand                             |
|        13 | Belarus            |        43 | Israel            |        73 | Nicaragua          | 103.      | Turkey                               |
|        14 | Belgium            |        44 | Iceland           |        74 | Nepal              | 104.      | Uganda                               |
|        15 | Bulgaria           |        45 | Ireland           |        75 | Oman               | 105.      | Upper Volta                          |
|        16 | Brazil             |        46 | Italy             |        76 | Pakistan           | 106.      | United Arab Emirates                 |
|        17 | Congo              |        47 | Jamaica           |        77 | Philippines        | 107.      | Uzbekistan                           |
|        18 | Cambodia           |        48 | Japan             |        78 | Panama             | 108.      | Vietnam                              |
|        19 | China              |        49 | Jordan            |        79 | Peru               | 109.      | Venezuela                            |
|        20 | Cuba               |        50 | Kazakhstan        |        80 | Poland             | 110.      | Yemen                                |
|        21 | Chile              |        51 | Korea (North)     |        81 | Portugal           | 111.      | Zambia                               |
|        22 | Colombia           |        52 | Kuwait            |        82 | Qatar              | 112.      | Zimbabwe                             |
|        23 | Croatia            |        53 | Kyrgyzstan        |        83 | Rwanda             | 113.      | Moldova                              |
|        24 | Cyprus             |        54 | Kenya             |        84 | Russian Federation | 114.      | Ukraine                              |
|        25 | Czech Republic     |        55 | Lithuania         |        85 | Romania            | 115.      | Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) |
|        26 | Djibouti           |        56 | Luxembourg        |        86 | Serbia             |           |                                      |
|        27 | Dominican Republic |        57 | Laos              |        87 | Slovakia           |           |                                      |
|        28 | Egypt              |        58 | Lebanon           |        88 | Slovenia           |           |                                      |
|        29 | Ethiopia           |        59 | Lesotho           |        89 | Spain              |           |                                      |
|        30 | Ecuador            |        60 | Libya             |        90 | Senegal            |           |                                      |

## Annexure-II

Annexure referred to part (a) to (c) in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.434 for 23.03.2026

## List of Countries with whom Ministry of Culture, Government of India has signed Cultural Exchange Programmes

|   S.No. | Name of Country   |   S.No. | Name of Country    | S.No.   | Name of Country   |
|---------|-------------------|---------|--------------------|---------|-------------------|
|       1 | Australia         |      33 | Indonesia          | 65.     | Romania           |
|       2 | Armenia           |      34 | Iran               | 66.     | Rwanda            |
|       3 | Angola            |      35 | Iceland            | 67.     | Serbia            |
|       4 | Benin             |      36 | Italy              | 68.     | Slovakia          |
|       5 | Botswana          |      37 | Israel             | 69.     | Slovenia          |
|       6 | Bahrain           |      38 | Japan              | 70.     | Spain             |
|       7 | Bangladesh        |      39 | Jordan             | 71.     | Saudi Arabia      |
|       8 | Brunei            |      40 | Jamaica            | 72.     | Senegal           |
|       9 | Myanmar           |      41 | Kazakhstan         | 73.     | Seychelles        |
|      10 | Bolivia           |      42 | Korea, South       | 74.     | Sierra Leone      |
|      11 | Belarus           |      43 | Kyrgyzstan         | 75.     | South Africa      |
|      12 | Bulgaria          |      44 | Kenya              | 76.     | Sudan             |
|      13 | Brazil            |      45 | Kuwait             | 77.     | Sri Lanka         |
|      14 | Comoros           |      46 | Lithuania          | 78.     | Suriname          |
|      15 | Cambodia          |      47 | Malaysia           | 79.     | Tanzania          |
|      16 | China             |      48 | Maldives           | 80.     | Tunisia           |
|      17 | Cuba              |      49 | Mongolia           | 81.     | Tajikistan        |
|      18 | Chile             |      50 | Mexico             | 82.     | Thailand          |
|      19 | Colombia          |      51 | Mali               | 83.     | Timor-Leste       |
|      20 | Croatia           |      52 | Mauritius          | 84.     | Turkey            |
|      21 | Cyprus            |      53 | Morocco            | 85.     | Turkmenistan      |
|      22 | Czech Republic    |      54 | Malawi             | 86.     | Trinidad &Tobago  |
|      23 | Denmark           |      55 | Mauritania         | 87.     | Uganda            |
|      24 | Egypt             |      56 | Netherlands        | 88.     | UAE               |
|      25 | Ethiopia          |      57 | Norway             | 89.     | Uzbekistan        |
|      26 | Ecuador           |      58 | Nigeria            | 90.     | Ukraine           |
|      27 | Finland           |      59 | Oman               | 91.     | United Kingdom    |
|      28 | France            |      60 | Philippines        | 92.     | Vietnam           |
|      29 | Ghana             |      61 | Panama             | 93.     | Venezuela         |
|      30 | Guyana            |      62 | Peru               | 94.     | Zambia            |
|      31 | Greece            |      63 | Portugal           | 95.     | Zimbabwe          |
|      32 | Hungary           |      64 | Russian Federation |         |                   |

*****