Full Breakdown
Modi to Meet Putin on the Sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek
8/27/2026, 9:52:19 PM
Bilateral Meeting at the SCO Summit
India’s prime minister Narendra Modi is slated to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kyrgyz Republic. The Indian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the leaders will review the full spectrum of their bilateral relationship on the summit’s sidelines.
Background of India-Russia Relations
India and Russia have maintained a long-standing partnership that endures despite Russia’s deepening ties with China and ongoing Western pressure on New Delhi to curtail economic links with Moscow amid the war in Ukraine. The two countries are permanent members of the SCO, alongside China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Iran. Earlier in the week, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met Putin in Moscow for the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation.
Schedule of Modi’s Central Asian Visit
- August 27, 2026 – Indian Foreign Ministry announced the planned Modi-Putin meeting.
- August 29-30, 2026 – Modi will travel to Uzbekistan for a bilateral visit.
- August 31-September 1, 2026 – Modi will attend the SCO summit in Bishkek, where the bilateral talks with Putin are scheduled.
Official Statements
Putin, speaking after his meeting with Jaishankar, expressed that he “hopes to see [Modi] soon” and looks forward to the summit encounter.
Outlook
The upcoming dialogue is expected to reaffirm cooperation across trade, defense and technology, while allowing both capitals to coordinate positions within the SCO framework. The timing follows recent high-level engagement and signals that, despite external pressures, India and Russia intend to sustain their strategic partnership.
