Source NDTV
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi will commence a crucial four-day visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan starting Saturday, August 29, 2026. The trip combines a bilateral state visit to Tashkent with participation in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, where a highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is officially on the agenda.
High-Level Talks with Putin in Bishkek
A central highlight of the Prime Minister’s Central Asian tour will be his bilateral meeting with President Putin on the margins of the SCO Summit in Bishkek, scheduled between August 31 and September 1.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders will review the entire spectrum of the India-Russia bilateral relationship. The meeting follows a recent Moscow visit by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who co-chaired the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission and conveyed PM Modi’s eagerness to host President Putin at the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi.
Deepening Strategic Ties with Uzbekistan
Before heading to the SCO forum, PM Modi will land in Tashkent on August 29 for a two-day state visit at the invitation of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This marks Modi’s fourth visit to the country.
During delegation-level talks, the two leaders are expected to review and bolster the strategic partnership between India and Uzbekistan, focusing heavily on trade and investment, defense, digital connectivity, energy, and education. Additionally, the Prime Minister will pay his respects at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial and visit the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.
SCO Summit: Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity
Following his engagements in Uzbekistan, PM Modi will travel to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek for the SCO Summit, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the organization’s founding.
At the summit, PM Modi is expected to take center stage to highlight India’s core priorities for the region: Security, Connectivity, and Opportunity. An MEA spokesperson noted that the SCO’s original mandate was to combat the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, and India is poised to reiterate its firm zero-tolerance stance on cross-border terrorism.
The summit will feature a gathering of heavyweights, with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expected to be in attendance.
Beyond high diplomacy, Modi’s visit to Kyrgyzstan will carry a cultural dimension; the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games, a massive celebration of Central Asia’s rich nomadic heritage.
