BISHKEK. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday evening to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. Modi shared the stage with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other regional leaders. The gathering marks 25 years since the bloc was formed. Modi was received at the airport in Bishkek by Adylbek Kasymaliev, chairman of Kyrgyzstan's Cabinet of Ministers. Modi was greeted with a Kyrgyz dance performance. Modi's arrival came after a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan during which Modi held talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The two-day summit, running August 31 and September 1, has drawn Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among others. UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres is also attending.

Modi‑Putin Talks in Focus

Modi is scheduled to meet Putin on the sidelines Monday evening. This will be Modi’s face‑to‑face meeting with Putin since Putin’s visit to New Delhi in December for the 23rd India‑Russia Annual Summit. The Ministry of External Affairs said that Modi and Putin will review India’s " strategic partnership" with Russia. Energy and fertiliser supplies will be a topic because India relies on Russian crude.

Defence cooperation will also likely be discussed. Modi and Putin are expected to meet less than two weeks later when Putin travels to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12. No formal bilateral meeting with Xi has been announced. However, Modi and Xi last met at the SCO summit in Tianjin in September, where India‑China ties had begun to thaw after years of border tension.

Security, Trade and Regional Conflicts on the Table

 Beyond the meetings, the summit agenda covers regional security, counterterrorism, trade, energy and transport connectivity and digital cooperation, according to the SCO Secretariat. Leaders are also expected to discuss the war between Israel and Iran, the Russia‑Ukraine conflict and Afghanistan’s economic situation. India‑Pakistan border tensions remain another talking point.

Modi is also due to attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games during Modi’s stay in Kyrgyzstan. The summit is expected to close with the adoption of a Bishkek Declaration that sets out the SCO’s priorities going forward.

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