SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, marking their first in-person meeting since the outbreak of the conflict in West Asia earlier this year, according to Iranian media reports.
The proposed meeting follows a series of telephone conversations between the two leaders during the conflict. During their most recent conversation on June 30, Pezeshkian briefed Modi on developments in West Asia and discussed the way forward, while the Prime Minister reiterated India’s call for sustained efforts to secure lasting peace and stability in the region.
The two leaders had also spoken in March amid rapidly changing circumstances in West Asia. Their meeting in Bishkek is expected to provide an opportunity to discuss regional developments, bilateral relations and other issues of mutual concern.
Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday to attend the 26th SCO Summit and hold a series of bilateral engagements. He is visiting the country at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov for the summit being held on August 31 and September 1.
The 10-member SCO is marking 25 years of the organisation. Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the grouping expanded with India and Pakistan becoming full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
Besides Pezeshkian, Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other SCO leaders, including Kyrgyz President Zhaparov and Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the summit.
