Xi, Modi and Putin to gather at SCO anniversary summit in Bishkek

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will converge on the Kyrgyz capital next week for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit marking the bloc's 25th anniversary, bringing together a diverse membership against a backdrop of tentative diplomatic thaws and ongoing regional conflicts.

Diplomatic fault lines

One of the most closely watched encounters will involve Xi and Modi, as Asia's two most populous nations seek to build on a tentative improvement in relations following years of tensions over their disputed Himalayan border. Senior officials from Beijing and New Delhi held another round of boundary negotiations on August 25, agreeing to continue efforts toward a settlement and maintain stability along the frontier, according to diplomatic sources.

The gathering will also place Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in the same room just over a year after the nuclear-armed neighbors fought a brief conflict, with tensions persisting primarily over the disputed territory of Kashmir. The leaders' interactions in Bishkek will offer an opportunity to gauge whether diplomatic channels remain open despite the volatile bilateral relationship.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also scheduled to attend, with plans to meet Putin on the sidelines of the summit, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency. His participation comes as Tehran faces mounting US economic pressure and threats of increased secondary sanctions against countries maintaining business ties with the Islamic Republic.

Security and economic agenda

According to the SCO Secretariat, leaders are expected to address major regional security challenges including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the situation in Afghanistan, and counterterrorism cooperation through the organization's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure based in Tashkent. The summit is anticipated to approve the anti-terrorism body's plans for the coming year, which may include proposals for joint exercises among member states.

Economic connectivity will feature prominently in discussions, with members examining transport infrastructure projects including the 7,200-kilometer International North-South Transport Corridor linking St. Petersburg with Mumbai via Iran. Delegates will also review progress on establishing an SCO Development Bank — a proposal under negotiation since June consultations in Shenzhen — and implementation of the Silk Road Stations network agreed in 2025 to facilitate freight traffic across Eurasia.

Institutional evolution

The organization traces its origins to the "Shanghai Five" established in 1996 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to reduce military tensions following the Soviet collapse, with Uzbekistan joining when the SCO formally launched in 2001. Membership expanded significantly when India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, bringing the total to 10 states spanning a population of around 3.4 billion and accounting for approximately 25 percent of global GDP.

Unlike NATO or the European Union, the SCO operates as a consensus-based forum rather than a military alliance or economic union, providing a platform for dialogue among countries with divergent interests including dialogue partners such as Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. The summit is expected to produce a Bishkek Declaration marking the organization's silver jubilee before Kyrgyzstan transfers chairmanship to Pakistan, which is slated to host the 2027 leaders' summit.