Experts say the delay has led to speculation in the region that New Delhi has lost interest in the engagement, particularly compared with Mr. The agenda will include engagements aimed at three additional multilateral platforms — the upcoming BRICS Summit in September, the two-year UN Security Council term of 2028-2029, and planning for the long-pending India-Central Asia Summit, which has not met since 2022. Modi’s first foray in 2015, when he visited all five Central Asian states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s four-day visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic is more than just an outreach to two important states in Central Asia or the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). His biggest challenge during this visit will be to reverse that perception.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov will hand over the presidency of the SCO to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for 2027, and all eyes will be on whether Mr. In addition, New Delhi wants Iran to take a more flexible position at the BRICS summit on September 12, where tensions between Iran and the UAE have held up consensus over a joint statement. Modi must cross is with Tajikistan, given that India and Tajikistan are both contenders for the Asian bloc’s vote for the non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council election in June 2027. In 2009, India had convinced Kazakhstan to withdraw from elections for the 2011-2012 term, and later supported Kazakhstan to win the 2017-2018 term.
Despite India’s considerably larger diplomatic footprint, recent votes in the UN General Assembly have delivered upsets — in June, Germany lost out to Portugal and Austria, and the Philippines lost to the Kyrgyz Republic in this year’s UNSC votes. In Bishkek, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the summit amongst other leaders of the SCO members. Modi gives any indication that he would attend the summit in Islamabad. The SCO summit will also be Mr. Modi’s first opportunity to meet with Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian since the U.S.-Iran war began, and discuss India’s concerns over the Hormuz Strait blockade. The next big hurdle Mr. In addition, Bangladesh’s Khalilur Rahman defeated his rival from Cyprus for President of the General Assembly in a tight race, even though the U.S., European countries, and India are understood to have supported Cyprus. Modi to discuss this with both Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and his Central Asian counterparts during the upcoming summit.
In the absence of a “clean slate” for next year’s election, India’s best bet would be to convince Tajikistan to put off its candidature to another year, and for Mr.
In June 2023, another opportunity for Central Asian leaders to visit Delhi was lost when the Modi government decided, citing scheduling difficulties, to cancel the in-person SCO Summit and hold that via videoconference as well. In June 2025, India revived its interest when External Affairs Minister S. In January 2022, the leaders of all five core states — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — were expected in Delhi as guests for Republic Day, when the visit was cancelled due to a new wave of COVID-19 cases, and Mr.
Finally, officials hope that a date for the India-Central Asia Summit, which has been put off several times, will be set during the PM’s visit. Modi addressed the first India-Central Asia Summit virtually. Jaishankar held the India-Central Asia Dialogue of Foreign Ministers. The PM met the Ministers and conveyed his invitation to their leaders, but the India-Central Asia summit is yet to be scheduled.
