Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese language President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and different world leaders are set to satisfy in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, right now for the twenty sixth Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
The 2-day summit, being held on August 31 and September 1, will happen because the grouping marks 25 years of its existence. The assembly is predicted to concentrate on regional safety, terrorism and transnational threats, alongside commerce, power, transport connectivity and digital cooperation. The continuing battle in West Asia, Ukraine conflict and regional developments are additionally anticipated to function within the leaders’ discussions.
PM ARRIVES IN BISHKEK
PM Modi arrived in Bishkek on Sunday after concluding a two-day visit to Uzbekistan. He was acquired on the airport by Adylbek Kasymaliev, chairman of the Cupboard of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, and was welcomed with a standard Kyrgyz dance efficiency.
Ministry of Exterior Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal mentioned on X that PM had arrived to take part within the SCO summit.
“The SCO Summit brings collectively ten Member States, fifteen Companion international locations and two observer international locations to advance dialogue and cooperation on regional and world points,” Jaiswal mentioned.
At his lodge, the PM was greeted by chants of ‘Vande Mataram’. He additionally witnessed a yoga efficiency to the patriotic tune ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’, adopted by a cultural efficiency themed round Lord Shiva. PM Modi is attending the summit on the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. On his departure from India, he mentioned he seemed ahead to advancing India’s imaginative and prescient for the area, anchored in “safety, connectivity and alternative”.
He additionally pressured the necessity for a area free from “terrorism, separatism and extremism”, which he mentioned proceed to threaten peace and stability.
XI, PUTIN AMONG KEY LEADERS IN BISHKEK
The summit is predicted to see the participation of a number of influential leaders, together with Xi, Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Putin can also be anticipated to carry separate talks with Pezeshkian and Xi, in accordance with Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov.
PM Modi, in the meantime, is predicted to carry bilateral conferences with Zhaparov, Putin and different SCO leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
SCO MARKS 25 YEARS
The SCO was formally established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017, adopted by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024. The grouping now has 10 member states, alongside 15 dialogue companions and two observer international locations, Afghanistan and Mongolia.
The SCO traces its origins to the Shanghai 5, shaped in 1996 to cut back army tensions and resolve border points amongst China, Russia and three former Soviet republics. The organisation describes itself as a platform for cooperation slightly than a army alliance. Its founding declaration says the group is “not an alliance directed towards different states”.
With about 3.4 billion individuals represented throughout its members, the SCO has turn into a serious discussion board for safety cooperation, financial engagement and regional diplomacy.
PM Modi may also attend the opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Video games throughout his Kyrgyzstan go to. He has mentioned the journey will assist strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen its civilisational ties with the area and advance the shared targets of peace, stability and prosperity.
WHEN PM MODI, XI AND PUTIN MET
The three leaders final appeared collectively on the SCO summit in Tianjin, China, in September 2025. PM Modi, Xi and Putin had been photographed sharing a heat interplay on the sidelines, with the Indian Prime Minister and Russian President additionally seen travelling collectively in Putin’s automotive. The optics drew appreciable consideration as a result of India-China ties had been solely starting to thaw after years of tensions alongside the Line of Precise Management.
For India, the larger takeaway was PM Modi’s assembly with Xi. The 2 leaders held talks towards the backdrop of the 2020 border clashes and a chronic army standoff. Their engagement adopted an October 2024 settlement that helped facilitate disengagement alongside components of the disputed frontier and marked an try to put bilateral ties again on a extra steady footing.
The 2025 summit additionally produced discussions on counter-terrorism, peace and safety, SCO growth and reform of world governance, whereas Xi and Putin pushed a broader imaginative and prescient of a extra multipolar worldwide order.
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With inputs from PTI
