The SCO Summit 2026 will focus on security, regional issues, trade, connectivity, energy and digital cooperation.
Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are set to attend the summit in Bishkek on August 31 and September 1.
The summit will mark 25 years of the SCO and is expected to adopt the Bishkek Declaration and other key documents.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek on August 31 and September 1 will bring together leaders of its 10 member states at a time when the grouping is trying to expand cooperation beyond its traditional security focus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to attend the summit in the Kyrgyz capital.
The meeting will focus on the SCO’s future direction, regional and international developments, and practical cooperation in areas including trade, energy and security. For India, the summit will also provide an opportunity to engage with China, Russia and the Central Asian states through a forum that has become an important part of its regional diplomacy. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed Modi’s participation at the 26th SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek on September 1.
The SCO was established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, building on the earlier Shanghai Five framework. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024. The organisation now covers a large part of Eurasia and has increasingly broadened its agenda from security cooperation to economic, energy, transport, technology and humanitarian issues.
Security And Regional Issues At The Centre
Security remains one of the SCO’s core areas of cooperation. The organisation has mechanisms for coordinating action against terrorism, extremism, separatism, drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime. These issues are particularly relevant to the Central Asian members, which share concerns about instability, cross-border crime and drug trafficking.
The SCO has been working on several security-related initiatives ahead of the Bishkek SCO summit. In its July foreign ministers’ statement, the organisation reaffirmed the importance of cooperation on security issues and highlighted efforts against terrorism and transnational organised crime. The ministers also discussed current international and regional issues as part of preparations for the summit.
Afghanistan could figure in the wider discussion on regional security, given the SCO’s focus on terrorism, transnational crime and drug trafficking. Afghanistan is an SCO observer state, and developments there have implications for the security of Central Asia.
The broader international situation will form another part of the leaders’ discussions. China has said that the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting would cover the international and regional situation, the future development of the organisation and cooperation in various fields. The July ministerial meeting subsequently discussed pressing international and regional issues and approved draft documents for the Bishkek summit.
The SCO, however, is not a military alliance. Its members have different foreign-policy positions and interests, meaning that agreement on broad principles does not necessarily translate into a common position on every international conflict.
The summit will also mark the SCO’s 25th anniversary, with leaders expected to adopt the Bishkek Declaration and other documents on the organisation’s future cooperation. The SCO Secretariat said foreign ministers had approved draft versions of the declaration and related statements at their July meeting.
Trade, Energy And Connectivity On The Agenda
Economic cooperation is another major area expected to feature in Bishkek. SCO members have been working on trade, investment, transport connectivity and energy cooperation, with the Central Asian states placing particular importance on improving links between regional markets.
Transport connectivity is significant for the landlocked Central Asian members, which depend on cross-border infrastructure to reach major markets. The SCO’s discussions on connectivity are therefore tied to wider efforts to improve transport links and facilitate trade between its members.
Energy is also expected to receive attention. In June, SCO energy ministers met in Bishkek and discussed energy security, energy efficiency, protection of energy infrastructure and cooperation on the energy transition. They also agreed to continue consultations on establishing an SCO Energy Consortium. Draft statements on energy conservation, energy efficiency and cooperation between energy systems are expected to be considered at the summit.
Digital cooperation is another area that has gained importance within the organisation. The SCO has been discussing information technology, digital development and artificial intelligence as part of its wider economic and technological agenda. The July foreign ministers’ statement also called for cooperation on digital development and an open, inclusive digital environment.
The final preparations for the summit show that the agenda is not limited to a single political or security issue. Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev said the July meeting covered security, trade and economic ties, transport and logistics, energy, digital development, and cultural and humanitarian issues. The Bishkek summit is also expected to adopt the Bishkek Declaration marking the SCO’s 25th anniversary and other documents aimed at developing the organisation.
For India, the summit will therefore be an opportunity to advance its priorities on security, connectivity and opportunity. New Delhi remains engaged with Russia and the Central Asian states while managing a complex relationship with China. The SCO gives India a forum where these relationships can be handled alongside discussions on security, trade, connectivity and energy.
The outcome of the Bishkek summit will show how much the 10-member grouping can translate its broad agenda into concrete cooperation. The immediate focus, however, is clear: regional security, international developments, economic cooperation, connectivity, energy, digitalisation and the future direction of the SCO as it enters its next 25 years.
