PM Modi arrives in Kyrgyzstan for SCO Summit, talks with Putin on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, where he is expected to push India’s concerns over terrorism and regional security while holding a series of bilateral meetings with leaders of the Eurasian grouping.

Modi arrived in Bishkek after completing a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan, the first leg of his four-day Central Asia tour. He was received at Manas International Airport by Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev, while a traditional Kyrgyz performance was organised to welcome him. The Prime Minister is visiting Kyrgyzstan at the invitation of President Sadyr Zhaparov. The SCO Summit, being held on August 31 and September 1, comes as the organisation marks 25 years since its establishment.

Security, terrorism high on India’s agenda

Modi is scheduled to address the summit and outline India's approach to cooperation within the grouping, with New Delhi framing its priorities around “Security, Connectivity and Opportunity”. Ahead of leaving India, Modi said New Delhi would work with other SCO members towards a region free from terrorism, separatism and extremism, which he said continued to threaten peace and stability in India's neighbourhood and beyond.

The emphasis on terrorism is expected to be an important element of India's intervention at the summit. Discussions among the leaders are also expected to cover regional security, trade, connectivity, energy and economic cooperation. The summit is taking place against a particularly complex geopolitical backdrop, with the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the war in West Asia likely to figure in discussions. Iran, which became a full SCO member in 2023, is represented at the gathering by President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Modi-Putin meeting scheduled

One of Modi's key engagements in Bishkek will be a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Ministry of External Affairs had confirmed ahead of the visit that the two leaders would meet on the sidelines of the summit and review the full range of India-Russia relations.

The talks are expected to cover bilateral cooperation, including trade, energy and defence, besides major regional and international developments. The meeting assumes added significance amid continuing geopolitical disruptions and India's longstanding strategic relationship with Moscow. Energy cooperation remains an important pillar of bilateral ties, while the two countries also maintain extensive defence links.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has also arrived in Bishkek for the summit. A formal Modi-Xi bilateral meeting had not been confirmed by New Delhi ahead of the gathering, although the presence of both leaders has generated attention amid continuing efforts by India and China to manage their bilateral relationship.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and leaders of the other SCO member states are also expected to participate.

SCO marks 25 years

Established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the SCO has expanded significantly over the past quarter-century. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, Iran joined in 2023 and Belarus became a member in 2024, taking the grouping to 10 full members. For India, the organisation provides an important diplomatic platform for engagement with Central Asia as well as China and Russia. New Delhi has consistently emphasised sovereignty, territorial integrity, counterterrorism and connectivity that respects internationally recognised principles while participating in SCO initiatives.

Modi said before his departure that India had been an “active and constructive” member since joining the organisation and that his visit would seek to strengthen India's strategic partnerships with Central Asian countries.

World Nomad Games also on itinerary

During his stay in Kyrgyzstan, Modi is also scheduled to meet President Zhaparov as part of efforts to deepen bilateral relations between India and the Central Asian country. The Prime Minister will additionally attend the opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Games, an international sporting and cultural event showcasing the traditional sports and heritage of nomadic civilisations.

Modi's visit to Bishkek concludes his four-day tour of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. In Tashkent, he held talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev covering trade and investment, defence, energy, digital connectivity, education and people-to-people ties. The Bishkek leg places regional security at the centre of the Prime Minister's diplomatic engagements, with his SCO address and bilateral meetings expected to set out India's position on terrorism, connectivity and cooperation at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.