Modi Arrives in Bishkek for 26th SCO Summit Amid Enhanced Regional Dialogue

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bishkek on Tuesday for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held at the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall, according to reports from ANI and Republic World. The summit, which marks the 25th anniversary of the SCO, brings together leaders from member states, partner countries, and observer nations.

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov is hosting the summit and serving as its chairman, the reports stated. Alongside Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were present, as were Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.

The summit is being conducted in an expanded “SCO Plus” format, with leaders from more than a dozen associated countries also attending. These include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe, according to the reports.

According to ANI and Republic World, the 26th SCO Leadership Summit brings together 10 member states, 15 partner countries, and two observer countries. The SCO represents approximately 25 per cent of global GDP.

In his address to the summit, Modi is expected to highlight India’s priorities of security, connectivity, and opportunity, the reports said. India has been a full member of the SCO since 2017.

Focus on Regional Goals and Cooperation

Reports from ANI and Republic World outlined the SCO’s stated objectives, which include strengthening mutual trust, friendship, and good-neighbourliness; promoting multilateral interaction to maintain peace, security, and stability in the region; jointly addressing new challenges and threats; and encouraging effective and mutually beneficial cooperation in various spheres, including economic growth and social and cultural development.

The SCO countries are developing long-term relations based on universally recognised principles and norms of international law, the reports said.

World Nomad Games Opening Ceremony

On Monday, Modi and other SCO leaders attended the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games in Bishkek, as reported by ANI and Republic World. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X: “PM @narendramodi, along with other SCO leaders, participated in the official opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games in Bishkek.”

Jaiswal highlighted that the biennial event celebrates the rich sporting traditions, culture, and heritage of nomadic civilisations, bringing together countries in a vibrant celebration of their shared culture, according to the reports. Modi greeted the Indian contingent participating in the event, which comprised 87 members, including 73 athletes, 10 cultural representatives, and four participants in the scientific programme.

The World Nomad Games are being held from August 31 to September 6 in Kyrgyzstan, with main events organised in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrchyn, and other locations in the Issyk-Kul region, the reports said. The games were conceived following the Bishkek Declaration signed in 2012 by Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey at the Summit of the Heads of Turkic States. The first edition was held in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, with subsequent editions in 2016 and 2018 in Kyrgyzstan, 2022 in Iznik, Turkey, and 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The 2026 edition features a wide-ranging sports programme comprising 43 disciplines, including traditional wrestling forms such as Goresh, Kurash, and Mongol Bokh, along with Kok Boru, Kekpar, equestrian events, Toguz Kargool, Mangala, Oware, Chuko, Ordo, tug of war, and strongman competitions, according to the reports.

UN Secretary-General in Attendance

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also arrived to attend the summit, as reported by ANI and Republic World.

The summit is expected to continue through the day, with leaders engaging in discussions on regional and global issues.