Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek Monday where leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are gathering for a two-day summit amid shifting geopolitics and the  conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia.

This year marks 25 years of the SCO. For India, the Bishkek gathering is a lead-up to the BRICS summit in New Delhi on September 12-13. Both Putin and Xi are expected to attend the summit.

Officials said that while a bilateral meeting with Putin has been slotted, Modi and Xi are expected to meet each other during the summit.

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Calling the SCO an “important organisation”, Modi said, “India has been an active and constructive member of the SCO since 2017. I look forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which continue to threaten peace and stability in our neighbourhood and beyond.”

“I also look forward to meeting (Kyrgyzstan) President Sadyr Zhaparov and other SCO leaders, and to attend the Opening Ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games, a celebration of the rich living heritage of Central Asia that India holds in deep respect,” he said.

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The SCO comprises 10 member states: Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; 15 Dialogue Partners: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Kuwait, Laos, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Sri Lanka; two Observers: Mongolia and Afghanistan.

The war in West Asia is expected to figure in the discussions, especially since Iran is a member of SCO.

India has been a member of the SCO since 2017 and Delhi’s priorities in SCO are based on what it had espoused in the 2018 summit –  a ‘SECURE’ SCO, i.e., Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity.

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The war that followed US and Israeli strikes against Iran in February this year has become a global talking point on the respect for “sovereignty and territorial integrity”. For India, connectivity with Central Asia, through Iran, has been a subject of great interest.

In Bishkek, Iran will be in the room with Saudi Arabia and UAE and all eyes will be on the dynamics between these countries. For India too, this will be important. These countries are going to be in Delhi for the BRICS summit where the Indian side will try to bring some consensus on the war in West Asia. The meeting of the BRICS Foreign Ministers in Delhi in May had ended with no consensus on the war in West Asia.

It will be important to see how the Indian delegation navigates given that Pakistan too will be present at the SCO. India has always put forward its policy of “fight against terrorism, separatism, extremism”, describing them as “three evils”.

During the period of its membership, India has held the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and of the SCO Council of Heads of State during 2022-2023. And, one of India’s priorities has been “Central Asia as Core of SCO”, and that will be tested in Bishkek again because Tajikistan has put its hat in the ring for the UNSC non-permanent member’s elections for 2028-29. India is also contesting for the same spot.

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Given that the theme of the SCO Heads of State Meeting this year is “25th anniversary of the SCO: strengthening stability, expanding cooperation for further joint development”, the Indian side will be looking at Kyrgyz Republic’s negotiating strategy to come up with joint documents.

According to sources, there are 27 documents proposed to be signed/adopted, including the Bishkek Declaration, Protocol to Amend SCO Charter, MoUs (Climate, Information Sphere, and Artificial Intelligence, Protocol to amend the Agreement on Combating Crime, Regulations on Universal Center and Anti Drug Center, Regulations on SCO ‘Partner,’ Cooperation between SCO and African Union.

Sources said the list of outcome documents will include, among others, thematic statements on Strengthening the Multilateral Partnership for Nuclear Safety and Security, Cooperation in Energy Conservation and Energy Efficiency, Preventive Diplomacy, Assistance to States affected by Emergency (disaster) Situations. Information (media) Sphere, Green Technology Corridors, Combating Drug Addiction, including Synthetic Drugs, and supporting and strengthening the institution of the family. Inclusion of English as an official and working language of SCO is another highlight of the upcoming Summit, sources said.

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This year also marks the 3rd edition of the SCO Plus format meeting. Apart from SCO member states, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Togo, Turkey, Egypt, Turkmenistan, along with UN, CIS, CSTO, EEC, and CICA are expected to attend the SCO+ Meeting. The theme of the SCO Plus meeting this year is “The UN as a key element of a just world order: contribution of SCO+ states to the formation of a multipolar world.”

“This will be an opportunity for the members to engage with dialogue partners and observers on global issues of interest,” an official said.