Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared together in the official group photograph at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on Tuesday.
The four leaders were seen standing alongside other heads of state as SCO members gathered for the traditional family photograph. Modi also briefly exchanged words with Xi and Putin while the leaders posed for the cameras.
The leaders assembled at the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall in Bishkek for the group photograph, an important tradition at the annual SCO summit. A roundtable discussion was also held at the same venue on the sidelines of the summit, news agency ANI reported. Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov hosted the meeting and chaired the discussions as the current SCO chairman.
Apart from Modi, Xi, Putin and Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon also attended the gathering.
Modi holds talks with Putin
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday and held discussions on several areas of bilateral cooperation. The talks covered trade, investment, energy and defence ties between India and Russia. The meeting came shortly before Putin's planned visit to India for the annual BRICS summit.
During the meeting, Modi also called for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. He stressed India's support for efforts aimed at achieving peace. India supports all and every effort for peace and will continue to do so, Modi said, calling Putin “my friend” in televised comments at the start of their talks in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek.
“There’s a need to move from “endless war to end of war”,” he said, switching from Hindi into English. Putin responded that “we’re moving in this direction,” although he did not provide further details.
The Russian president also highlighted the importance of India-Russia relations. He said the two countries were continuing to strengthen their strategic partnership and credited Modi's personal relationship with him for helping maintain close ties.
Russia and India continue to strengthen their strategic partnership, facilitated by Modi’s “very kind, personal, friendly relations, for which I thank you,” he said.
Modi meets Iranian President Pezeshkian
Earlier on Monday, Modi also met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. The meeting marked the first interaction between the two leaders in two years. Their talks came as India continues to maintain diplomatic engagement with Iran and other countries in the region.
The meeting also formed part of Modi's wider diplomatic engagements during the SCO summit, where regional security, economic cooperation and global developments were among the major areas of discussion.
26th SCO Summit brings major leaders together
The 26th SCO Leadership Summit has brought together leaders and representatives from 10 member states, 15 partner countries and two observer nations. The summit is focused on strengthening dialogue and cooperation on regional and international issues. Member countries are also seeking to deepen long-term partnerships based on good-neighbourly relations, friendship and cooperation.
The SCO aims to promote collaboration in areas of common interest while following universally recognised principles and norms of international law. The 10-member organisation collectively represents around 25% of the global GDP, giving the grouping significant economic and geopolitical importance.
The Bishkek summit provides an important platform for leaders, including Modi, Xi, Putin and other heads of state, to discuss regional challenges and explore greater cooperation despite differences on several international issues.