Modi Meets Putin and Pezeshkian at SCO Summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on August 31, 2026, for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Prior to the summit, Modi visited Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where India established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signed eleven MoUs covering uranium supply and digital payments.

On the sidelines of the summit, Modi held bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi urged Russia to move from an "endless war" to the "end of war" regarding Ukraine, stating that every day of warfare "sets humanity back." The meeting occurred as India manages pressure from the United States to cease imports of Russian oil, which reached a record 2.8 million barrels per day in July. Despite this, India recently finalized a $2 billion nuclear-powered submarine lease with Russia.

Modi also met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, their first meeting since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran. Modi urged the protection of commercial shipping and civilians in West Asia, emphasizing that regional issues should be resolved through diplomacy. President Pezeshkian accused the United States of wanting to "continue the war" and failing to fulfill commitments from a Pakistan-mediated framework deal.

Throughout the summit, Modi sought to secure energy resources and press for a joint declaration condemning "cross-border terrorism." He invited both Putin and Pezeshkian to the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi scheduled for September 12-13.