Narendra Modi arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on the morning of the 26th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) National Summit for the first time. It will be an important step in the growing interest of India in the country’s involvement in a multilateral organisation in the area of regional security, economic cooperation and cooperation between the countries of SCO and a better relationship with China.
The SCO Summit offers India an important diplomatic platform to work with its fellow member states on issues that have a direct bearing on India’s security and economic interests. The organisation brings together big countries from Asia and Eurasia in its meetings and therefore its meetings have a very important role to play in regional stability, counter-terrorism, connectivity, trade, investment and development.
PM Modi will be able to use the summit to underline India's willingness to engage in constructive engagement with SCO and its members, as well as to promote discussions on terrorism, regional security, economic cooperation and people-to-people relations. New Delhi has an opportunity at the summit to state its priorities on the emerging problems in the region.
Security will be an important issue at the summit. The Asian and Eurasian regions are still under siege from terrorism, geopolitical tension, conflicts and instability in different parts of the world. India has constantly stressed the need for a robust international response to terrorism: it is about the cooperation between countries against terrorist organisations, not the single country alone that is against them.
Economic cooperation is another area of interest for India in the SCO. The grouping opens up opportunities for member countries to promote trade and investment linkages in the region and better linkages to the transportation network.
India is emphasizing the importance of reliable supply chains, improved transportation links and business engagement for a better economic relationship as global trade patterns change so rapidly.
The summit also comes at a moment when geopolitical developments are reshaping relations across Asia and outside it. Competition among big powers, ongoing conflicts and changing international trade have made for a complicated international scene.
On this basis, India has membership in the SCO so that it can continue to dialogue with a wide range of countries and pursue its strategic and economic interests.
India's engagement with Central Asian countries is especially relevant during PM Modi's visit to Bishkek. Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian nations are important to India's broader engagement with the region. The Indian government has also encouraged cooperation with Central Asian countries in relation to trade, connectivity, education, digital technology, healthcare, energy and cultural exchanges.
As the SCO also helps us to express our vision for a stable and connected and prosperous world, it is also a space in which India can put forward its own vision as well as develop a new vision.
Delhi is constantly telling us to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity and to engage in dialogue and diplomacy to solve international disputes. India’s involvement in the SCO as well as in multilateral institutions is indicative of the fact that India is in the position globally of being strategic partners with other countries but has a sovereign foreign policy.
PM Modi's arrival in Bishkek is expected to draw large diplomatic attention. Talks with other leaders will take place on regional and international issues as well as to strengthen bilateral relations. That's why the leaders in the margins of major multilateral summits often meet and talk about particular areas of cooperation, and how the work is progressing.
For India, the 26th SCO Summit could be an opportunity to boost India’s position in regional diplomacy and a forum for discussions on issues in the wider Eurasian region and it can also help to grow the country’s economic ties and its profile in Asia.
In Bishkek, leaders will have to focus on results of the summit and the priorities of the countries involved. PM Modi’s presence is indicative of India’s continued engagement with the SCO and its desire to strengthen regional cooperation. Security, terrorism, connectivity, trade and economic development are likely to be the topics of the summit.
#WATCH | Prime Minister @narendramodi arrives to participate in the 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. @MEAIndia #SCO #SCOSummit #SCOSummit2026 #PMModi pic.twitter.com/7Y6RM9bDl2
— DD News (@DDNewslive) September 1, 2026
And it is the Prime Minister's visit to Kyrgyzstan that is indicative of India’s drive to deepen relations with Central Asia and international cooperation in multilateral institutions.
The SCO offers countries the chance to stay in touch, identify those areas of common interest and work for a better future for the region at a time of high geopolitical uncertainty. India’s participation in the 26th SCO Summit is expected to further strengthen India’s diplomatic engagement in Eurasia.
