Bishkek: India and Russia will review ties between the two countries amid a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian president Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek today.
Putin will reach the Kyrgyztan capital today along with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, deputy prime minister Alexey Overchuk and deputy chief of staff of the presidential executive office Maxim Oreshkin.
He is scheduled to hold nine bilateral meetings during his visit, including with PM Modi, Chinese president Xi Jinping and Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian.
The PM Modi-Putin talks will take place a day ahead of the SCO leaders’ plenary session on Tuesday. It is expected to cover key aspects of the India-Russia strategic partnership, including trade, energy, defence and other areas of mutual interest, as reported by News18.
PM Modi reached Bishkek on Sunday to attend the 26th SCO Summit, being held from August 31 to September 1.
The Prime Minister’s meeting with Putin comes as India continues to maintain close strategic ties with Moscow while navigating an increasingly complex global geopolitical environment. PM Modi is also expected to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. Xi also reached Bishkek on Sunday to attend the SCO gathering, which marks 25 years of the organisation.
The SCO Summit is being hosted by Kyrgyzstan under the theme “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.” The main Council of Heads of State plenary will be held on September 1. The 10-member grouping is expected to discuss regional security, counter-terrorism, connectivity, trade, energy security and digital cooperation.
PM Modi, in his departure statement, has said India looked forward to advancing its vision for the region based on “security, connectivity and opportunity”. He also said India would work with SCO members towards a region free from “terrorism, separatism and extremism”.
The summit comes ahead of the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, where PM Modi and other leaders are expected to gather again.