SCO Summit 2026
The Agenda includes bilateral meetings with key leaders
Synopsis
The 10-member SCO is marking 25 years since the organization was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and then Belarus in 2024. The leaders have gathered to focus on hold talks about national and international issues.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
On Monday, August 31, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and more than a dozen other leaders gathered in Kyrgyzstan for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional grouping seeking to strengthen its influence as a counterpoise to Western power.
On Sunday, August 30, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan for the 26th SCO Summit, which is scheduled to take place on August 31 and September 1, where he is expected to discuss various regional and global issues and meet several leaders on the sidelines.
PM Modi is visiting the country at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov.
Key Agendas
The countries participating in the SCO Summit 2026 bring together leaders of member states to deliberate on matters of national and international concern.
Counter-terrorism and regional security are among the key issues on the summit agenda, with India likely to reiterate its strong position against terrorism, including the need to counter state-sponsored terrorism and strengthen regional stability.
Economic cooperation is another major focus, with SCO members discussing ways to expand trade using local currencies, improve cross-border payment systems and reduce dependence on Western financial networks.
PM Modi’s Agenda
PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral discussions with SCO leaders, including Zhaparov and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On August 27, 2026, the Ministry of External Affairs informed that a meeting between PM Modi and Putin had been scheduled on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek.
The two leaders are hence expected to review the broader India-Russia bilateral ties.
The India-Russia Talks
Sibi George, MEA Secretary (West) has said last week during a press conference, "We have had a very successful IRIGC (India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission) recently held in Moscow. Both sides are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral relationships during the meeting between the leaders at the sidelines of the SCO in Bishkek.”
The planned meeting comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Putin at the Kremlin during his two-day official visit to Russia. Jaishankar conveyed Modi's "good wishes" to the Russian President.
While the bilateral meeting with Putin has already been scheduled, PM Modi is also likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit.