Xi, Modi and Putin set to meet for SCO summit: What’s on the agenda?

What the report says

Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are gathering in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for a two-day annual summit beginning Monday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the expected attendees. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also due to participate, alongside leaders from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan, and some international figures such as UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Turkey’s president are also expected, according to Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera reports that the meeting comes as wars in the Middle East and Europe continue to shape diplomatic and economic calculations, while the SCO marks its 25th year. The summit is being held under the theme “Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity,” and is expected to highlight the bloc’s long-running effort to project a multipolar world order and stronger cooperation among Global South states.

Key agenda items include the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, Afghanistan’s security and economic conditions, and the state of ties between India and China. The report says India-China relations have improved after years of tension, while border frictions between India and Pakistan remain unresolved. Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera also said the summit may serve as a test of whether members can move beyond rhetoric on trade, connectivity and financial coordination.

Background noted by Al Jazeera shows the SCO began as a regional security group and later expanded to include more members, broadening its focus to trade and development. The article says member states account for a large share of the world’s population and economy, helping explain why the gathering is viewed as a significant platform for states seeking more influence outside Western-led institutions.