PM Modi to visit Uzbekistan, attend SCO Summit in Bishkek on Aug 31
Synopsis
PM Modi's back-to-back visits to Tashkent and Bishkek are more than diplomatic routine — they signal India's most concentrated Central Asian push in years. With Uzbekistan talks spanning critical minerals, space, and defence, and the SCO's 25th anniversary providing a multilateral stage, Modi is using both stops to reinforce India's strategic relevance in a region where China and Russia have long held the advantage.
Key Takeaways
PM Modi arrives in Tashkent on 29 August for a two-day State Visit — his fourth visit to Uzbekistan.
Delegation-level talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will cover trade, defence, critical minerals, space, and people-to-people ties.
Modi will visit the Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.
He travels to Bishkek on 31 August for the 26th SCO Summit , marking the organisation's 25th anniversary .
Modi is also expected to attend the opening of the 6th World Nomad Games in Bishkek.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a State Visit to Uzbekistan starting 29 August, followed by his participation in the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday. The twin engagements mark one of the most substantive Central Asian diplomatic outings of Modi's current term.
State Visit to Uzbekistan
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to arrive in Tashkent on 29 August for a two-day bilateral visit at the invitation of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. This will be his fourth visit to Uzbekistan — having previously travelled there in 2015, 2016, and 2022, the latter two for SCO-related engagements.
Delegation-level talks between the two leaders are expected to cover trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education, critical minerals, space, technology, and people-to-people exchanges. The two sides will also align their long-term development frameworks — India's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' and Uzbekistan's 'Uzbekistan-2030' — to identify shared priorities.
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to pay his respects at the Shastri Memorial in Tashkent — a nod to the historic significance of the city, where former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri signed the 1966 Tashkent Declaration — and visit the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, where he will interact with Indologists and scholars.
Bilateral Ties: A Deep-Rooted Partnership
India and Uzbekistan have maintained extensive bilateral and multilateral engagement over the years. President Mirziyoyev visited India for a State Visit in 2018 and attended the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in 2019. Modi and Mirziyoyev have since met on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai (2023), the BRICS Summit in Kazan (2024), and most recently at the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, in 2025.
Sibi George, Secretary (West) at the MEA, described the visit as an opportunity to highlight the 'long-standing cultural ties between India and Uzbekistan' and the role of academic and people-to-people exchange in deepening the bilateral relationship.
SCO Summit in Bishkek
Following the Tashkent leg, Prime Minister Modi will travel to Bishkek on 31 August for the 26th SCO Summit. This year's summit carries added significance as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the SCO, with the theme: '25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity'.
The summit programme includes a welcome dinner on 31 August and a plenary session the following day, where Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to deliver his remarks. A number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines are also being planned. In May, SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev — a former Defence Minister of Kazakhstan — had visited India and the Nalanda University.
World Nomad Games Appearance
Prime Minister Modi is additionally expected to participate in the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games in Bishkek, alongside other SCO member-country leaders — an engagement that underscores India's cultural diplomacy outreach in Central Asia.
The back-to-back visits reflect India's sustained push to deepen its footprint in Central Asia at a time when the region is drawing growing strategic interest from multiple global powers.
Point of View
Meanwhile, remains awkward for India given Pakistan's membership and China's dominance, but Modi's continued engagement signals that India prefers to shape the conversation from within rather than cede the space. Whether the Bishkek bilaterals yield anything concrete — particularly on the stalled India-Central Asia connectivity corridor — will be the real measure of this trip's value.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is PM Modi visiting Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan?
PM Modi is scheduled to arrive in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 29 August for a two-day State Visit, before travelling to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 31 August for the 26th SCO Summit. The visits were announced by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday.
What will PM Modi discuss with Uzbekistan President Mirziyoyev?
The two leaders are expected to hold delegation-level talks covering trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, critical minerals, space, technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges. They will also align their respective national development visions — India's 'Viksit Bharat 2047' and Uzbekistan's 'Uzbekistan-2030'.
What is the significance of the 2026 SCO Summit in Bishkek?
The 26th SCO Summit in Bishkek marks the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, with the theme 'Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity'. PM Modi is scheduled to deliver remarks at the plenary session and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
How many times has PM Modi visited Uzbekistan before?
This will be PM Modi's fourth visit to Uzbekistan. He previously visited in 2015, and then in 2016 and 2022 to attend SCO Summits. India and Uzbekistan have maintained active bilateral engagement through State Visits, multilateral forums, and sideline meetings at events such as COP28 and the BRICS Summit.
What is the World Nomad Games and why is Modi attending?
The World Nomad Games is an international sports and cultural festival celebrating nomadic traditions, with the 6th edition being held in Bishkek. PM Modi is expected to attend the opening ceremony alongside other SCO member-country leaders, reflecting India's cultural diplomacy push in Central Asia.
