PM Modi at SCO Summit today: Putin talks, likely Xi meeting and Iran war among key issues on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Kyrgyzstan, where he is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

The prime minister was received at the airport by Kasymaliev Adylbek Aleshovich, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.

"The SCO Summit brings together ten Member States, fifteen Partner countries and two observer countries to advance dialogue and cooperation on regional and global issues," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

Modi is visiting Kyrgyzstan at the invitation of President Sadyr Zhaparov to participate in the 26th SCO Summit on August 31-September 1.

The 10-member SCO is marking 25 years of the organisation. It was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with India and Pakistan joining as full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.

PM Modi to meet Putin

PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with SCO leaders, including with Kyrgyz President Zhaparov and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the summit.

A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been scheduled on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, the Ministry of External Affairs said on 27 August.

The two leaders are expected to review the broader India-Russia bilateral relationship during their meeting.

"We have had a very successful IRIGC (India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission) recently held in Moscow. Both sides are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral relationships during the meeting between the leaders at the sidelines of the SCO in Bishkek," MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said last week during a press conference.

The scheduled meeting comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Putin at the Kremlin during his two-day official visit to Russia and conveyed PM Modi's "good wishes" to the Russian President.

During the meeting, Jaishankar briefed Putin on the outcome of the IRIGC meeting held in Moscow and highlighted the continued growth in bilateral economic cooperation.

While a bilateral meeting with Putin has been slotted, PM Modi is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit too.

What is SCO?

The 26th SCO Summit is expected to focus on the evolving security scenario in the region, the ministry said. Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are among the leaders expected to attend the summit.

The war in West Asia is expected to figure in the discussions, especially since Iran is a member of SCO.

The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, international security, and defense organization which began in 1996 as the Shanghai Five, a border-demilitarization and trust-building group between China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The grouping was officially renamed and founded as the SCO on June 15, 2001, after the inclusion of Uzbekistan and is today the largest regional organization in the world by geographic coverage and population with 10 member states.

Advancing India's vision for the region: PM

In his departure statement on Saturday, PM Modi said he looked forward to advancing India's vision for the region, anchored in "security, connectivity and opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which continue to threaten peace and stability".

"I also look forward to meeting President Zhaparov and other SCO leaders," he said.

He will also attend the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games.

The prime minister said this visit will strengthen India's strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen its civilisational connect with the region, and advance a shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity.

PM Modi arrived in Bishkek after a two-day trip to Uzbekistan, during which the two countries decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set a target of $5 billion in annual trade by 2030.

(With agency inputs)