As the Kyrgyz capital gears up to host the milestone 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit from August 31 to September 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed on Saturday for a four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, underlining India's continued participation in the multilateral bloc since becoming a full member in 2017. In his departure statement, Modi indicated that the visit would centre on reinforcing India's strategic partnerships across Central Asia and expanding regional ties.
The itinerary begins with a State Visit to Uzbekistan from August 29-30 at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, marking Modi's fourth official visit to the country. During his time in Tashkent, he will hold delegation-level talks with Mirziyoyev to enhance the bilateral strategic partnership, with both leaders expected to evaluate cooperation across trade, investment, digital connectivity, defence, energy, education and people-to-people relations, and set the framework for future engagement.
