PM Modi, Putin To Hold Bilateral Talks On Sidelines Of SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The meeting is among the bilateral engagements being planned during Modi's August 31-September 1 visit to Kyrgyzstan for the SCO Summit. MEA Secretary of the West C B George said a meeting between Modi and Putin had been scheduled and that the two leaders were expected to review the "entire gamut" of India-Russia relations.

India-Russia Ties

The meeting comes shortly after the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC) held its latest meeting in Moscow.

George said the Modi-Putin talks would provide an opportunity to take stock of developments in the bilateral relationship following the Moscow meeting.

The two leaders are expected to meet during the SCO gathering, which will bring together leaders of the organisation's member states in Bishkek.

SCO Summit

Modi will travel to Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 1 to attend the SCO Summit, after a bilateral visit to Uzbekistan from August 29-30. The summit will include a welcome dinner on August 31 and a plenary session the following day, where Modi is scheduled to deliver an address.
India has been a full SCO member since 2017, after holding observer status since 2005. New Delhi has identified security, connectivity and opportunity as key elements of its engagement with the organisation, alongside its focus on countering terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Why The Meeting Matters

The Modi-Putin meeting will take place against the backdrop of an active India-Russia diplomatic relationship and broader regional discussions at the SCO.

MEA said several bilateral meetings were being worked out on the summit's sidelines, with schedules to be announced as they are finalised. The Modi-Putin meeting is the first such engagement specifically confirmed by the ministry ahead of the Bishkek summit.