The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its 26th summit at Kyrgyz Republic’s capital Bishkek on August 31-September 1, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders of the member countries. The summit marked the completion of 25 years of the organisation that was launched on June 15, 2001 with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan — the Shanghai five — as its founding members. India and Pakistan joined the group in 2017.
He highlighted India’s role in ensuring supply of relief materials to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan over the years, and spoke in favour of greater connectivity between the markets of the SCO members while respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states.
Prime Minister Modi led the Indian delegation at the summit where he spoke about ensuring that there is “no double standards” in fighting terrorism and called for peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Mr. Modi’s mention of connectivity while respecting territorial integrity is an apparent reference to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that has been a target of India’s criticism over the years. This factor indicated a bit of dissonance within the grouping as India stayed away from endorsing the China-led BRI but other member states expressed support and also advocated alignment between the BRI and the Eurasian Economic Union. The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet clarified whether Mr. Modi will travel to Pakistan to attend the SCO summit next year. External Affairs Minister S. These developments will be a factor in New Delhi’s decision on the level at which the government sends representatives to next year’s summit in Pakistan. Seeking to rebuild ties after the setback at Galwan, India and China began to reengage at the Kazan Summit in Russia, where Mr. Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping. This was followed by another meeting between the two leaders in Tianjin where they agreed on an ‘Early Harvest’ proposal on boundary delimitation and resumption of border trade through three points. It also showed that, amid an uncertain phase in India-U.S. relations, with President Donald Trump imposing punitive tariffs on Indian goods, New Delhi could engage all major stakeholders and maintain necessary diplomatic dialogue.
Jaishankar had visited Islamabad in 2024 to attend the 23rd meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government. The Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, 2025, the subsequent Operation Sindoor, and India’s decision to place the Indus Waters Treaty ‘in abeyance’ have further complicated India-Pakistan relations. The grouping has 29 charter bodies like the Council of Heads of State, the Council of Heads of Government, the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, meetings of heads of ministries and/or agencies, the Council of National Coordinators, as well as over 40 working mechanisms of interaction in various fields. India has used the SCO to advance its diplomatic objectives on multiple occasions since joining the grouping in 2017. Two relevant examples are the 2025 Tianjin Summit and the 2024 Kazan Summit. The Tianjin meeting demonstrated that the two sides retained the political will to meet despite the strain in ties following Operation Sindoor in May 2025, when China provided support to Pakistan as India targeted terror camps in Pakistani territory.
The declaration also called on Afghanistan to form an “inclusive government”.
