Bishkek, Aug 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Kyrgyzstan, where he is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
The prime minister was received at the airport by Kasymaliev Adylbek Aleshovich, chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.
A traditional Kyrgyz dance performance was also held at the airport to welcome the prime minister.
Modi is visiting Kyrgyzstan at the invitation of President Sadyr Zhaparov to participate in the 26th SCO Summit on August 31-September 1.
The 10-member SCO is marking 25 years of the organisation.
It was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with India and Pakistan joining as full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with SCO leaders, including with Kyrgyz President Zhaparov and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the summit.
In his departure statement on Saturday, Modi said he looked forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in “security, connectivity and opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism”.
“I also look forward to meeting President Zhaparov and other SCO leaders,” he said.
He will also attend the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games.
The prime minister said this visit will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen its civilisational connect with the region, and advance a shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity.
