Nityanand Rai calls on Kyrgyzstan President Zhaparov at SCO meet in Bishkek
Synopsis
India's MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai met Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO internal affairs ministers' meet — the latest in a string of high-level Indian engagements with the bloc, following visits by Rajnath Singh and Deputy NSA Pavan Kapoor in recent months, underlining New Delhi's deepening stake in SCO diplomacy.
Key Takeaways
MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai called on Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov in Bishkek on 6 June 2025 .
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the SCO Meeting of Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs and Public Security , running from 4 to 6 June .
Kyrgyzstan holds the SCO chairmanship for 2025-2026 , with the theme 'Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity'.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had visited Bishkek in April for the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting.
Deputy NSA Pavan Kapoor attended the 21st SCO Secretaries of Security Councils meeting last month, holding talks with Iranian and Kyrgyz counterparts.
The SCO now has 10 member states after Belarus joined in 2024 .
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai called on Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov in Bishkek on Friday, 6 June 2025, on the sidelines of the Meeting of Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs and Public Security of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states. The courtesy call was made alongside other heads of delegations attending the three-day conclave, held under Kyrgyzstan's SCO chairmanship from 4 to 6 June.
India's Presence at the SCO Ministerial
The Indian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan confirmed the meeting in a post on X, stating that MoS Rai paid a courtesy call on President Zhaparov together with heads of delegations visiting for the SCO internal affairs ministers' meeting. Rai had arrived in Bishkek on Thursday and was received at Manas Airport by Col. General Ulan Niyazbekov, Minister of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Ambassador Birender Singh Yadav.
Kyrgyzstan's SCO Chairmanship Theme
Kyrgyzstan holds the SCO chairmanship for 2025-2026. President Zhaparov has announced '25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity' as the theme of the presidency, marking a quarter-century since the bloc's founding.
India's Recent SCO Engagements
This visit is part of a series of high-level Indian engagements with the SCO in recent months. In April, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Kyrgyzstan to attend the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting. Last month, Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor attended the 21st meeting of SCO's Secretaries of Security Councils in Bishkek, where he held separate discussions with his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri Kani of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), and with Adilet Orozbekov, Secretary of the Security Council of Kyrgyzstan, to deepen bilateral ties.
About the SCO
The SCO was established on 15 June 2001, with founding members China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, bringing total membership to 10 states. The bloc also has two observer states — Afghanistan and Mongolia — and 14 dialogue partners, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Nepal, among others.
India's sustained participation across multiple SCO formats signals New Delhi's intent to remain an active voice within the Eurasian security grouping as the bloc expands its geopolitical footprint.
Point of View
Pavan Kapoor last month, and now Nityanand Rai — reflect a deliberate diplomatic cadence, not routine multilateralism. New Delhi is signalling consistent engagement at a moment when the SCO's expansion to 10 members is reshaping the bloc's internal balance. The real question is whether India's presence translates into agenda-setting influence, or whether Beijing and Moscow continue to dominate the SCO's strategic direction while India remains a vocal but peripheral voice.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Nityanand Rai visit Bishkek in June 2025?
MoS Home Affairs Nityanand Rai travelled to Bishkek to attend the Meeting of Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs and Public Security of SCO member states, held from 4 to 6 June 2025. On the sidelines, he paid a courtesy call on Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Zhaparov alongside other heads of delegations.
What is the SCO meeting in Bishkek about?
The meeting is the Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs and Public Security of SCO member states, focused on internal security cooperation among the bloc's 10 members. It is being held under Kyrgyzstan's SCO chairmanship for 2025-2026.
Which other Indian officials have recently attended SCO meetings in Bishkek?
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Bishkek in April 2025 for the SCO Defence Ministers Meeting. Deputy NSA Pavan Kapoor attended the 21st meeting of SCO Secretaries of Security Councils last month, where he held talks with his Iranian and Kyrgyz counterparts.
How many countries are members of the SCO?
The SCO currently has 10 member states: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. Belarus is the most recent member, having joined in 2024.
What is Kyrgyzstan's SCO chairmanship theme?
Kyrgyzstan, which holds the SCO chairmanship for 2025-2026, has announced '25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development, and Prosperity' as its presidency theme, marking the bloc's 25th anniversary since its founding on 15 June 2001.
