PM Modi To Visit Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan For SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a four-day diplomatic tour of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on Saturday, August 29, at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Modi will visit Uzbekistan until August 30 before travelling to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

He will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit. This will be among several bilateral engagements Modi will hold on the margins of the summit, with details of other meetings to be announced once finalised, the external affairs ministry stated on Thursday.

"A meeting is scheduled between both the leaders of India and Russia on the sidelines of the summit," Secretary (West) Sibi George said at a media briefing.

Strengthening India-Russia Ties

Modi and Putin will examine the full spectrum of bilateral relations between New Delhi and Moscow during their meeting. The engagement follows recent high-level diplomatic exchanges.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Moscow earlier in the week. During his visit, Jaishankar met Putin and co-chaired the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation.

The SCO Summit Agenda

The upcoming SCO Summit marks the 25th anniversary of the grouping. The agenda will focus on the evolving regional security scenario, the ministry stated.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are expected to attend the event. Modi will use his summit address to highlight India's core priorities of security, connectivity and opportunity, the external affairs ministry stated.

The SCO was originally established to counter terror, separatism and extremism across the region, which remain a challenge, George said at a media briefing. India joined the bloc as a full member in 2017.

Central Asian Bilateral Engagements

Modi is visiting Uzbekistan for the fourth time. He will hold strategic talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to strengthen the bilateral partnership.

The dialogue will assess mutual progress across trade, investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties, the ministry stated. In Tashkent, the Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the Lal Bahadur Shastri memorial. He will also visit the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.

During his subsequent stop in Kyrgyzstan, Modi is scheduled to attend the opening of the sixth World Nomad Games, which celebrate the cultural heritage of Central Asia.