SCO Summit 2026 Live Updates: PM Modi Concludes Kyrgyzstan Visit, Departs For New Delhi

 

 

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday departed for New Delhi after concluding his four-day official visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, during which he attended the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek and held bilateral meetings with several leaders. During his address at the SCO Summit, Modi outlined India's priorities for the grouping around three pillars: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and called for moving them beyond vision towards concrete outcomes.

 

He said the SCO had established a strong foundation of dialogue and cooperation over its 25-year journey and should now focus on translating that foundation into tangible results over the next 25 years. Terrorism was among the key issues the prime minister raised. Modi called for dismantling the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens, and said there could be no double standards in the fight against the menace. He stressed that countries using terrorism as an instrument of state policy or providing shelter and support to terrorists must be sent a strong message. Modi also reiterated India's position that wars and conflicts cannot be resolved on the battlefield and must instead be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy. Referring to the crisis in West Asia, he said conflicts could have consequences far beyond their immediate region, affecting global energy security, maritime trade and supply chains, with countries of the Global South bearing much of the impact.

 

On connectivity, the Prime Minister said India supported initiatives that connect markets, facilitate trade and create new avenues for development. At the same time, he stressed that connectivity projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. He also called for simpler customs processes, greater use of digital documentation and more efficient logistics networks. Modi said the success of SCO cooperation should ultimately be measured by the opportunities created for young people, new markets opened for entrepreneurs, technology reaching farmers and improvements in citizens' quality of life.

 

He also highlighted India's Start-up Forum, Young Authors' Conclave and Young Scientists' Forum and called for more people-driven SCO cooperation. During the summit, Modi announced that India would host the first session of the SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum, which New Delhi proposed last year. He also signed the SCO declaration along with other heads of member states. On the sidelines of the summit, Modi met Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon and Lao PDR President Thongloun Sisoulith to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation. The PM had earlier attended the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games in Bishkek and greeted the 87-member Indian contingent participating in the event. The SCO summit brought together 10 member states, 15 partner countries and two observer countries to discuss regional and global issues.