Xi, Modi, Putin to meet in Kyrgyzstan: what to watch at SCO summit

The 10-member bloc represents about 3.4 billion people, with China, Russia, India and Iran among its members

Some of Eurasia's most powerful leaders will gather next week in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, bringing together a complicated mix of improving ties, longstanding rivalries and regional conflicts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among those attending the September 1 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State summit, which marks the group's 25th anniversary.

The gathering comes amid a tentative thaw in China-India relations following years of border tensions, as India and Pakistan navigate the aftermath of their brief conflict last year.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will also attend as Tehran faces growing US economic pressure, while conflicts and instability stretching from the Middle East and Ukraine to Afghanistan are expected to feature in discussions.

The meeting also comes as SCO members seek to capitalise on shifting global economic and geopolitical dynamics by strengthening trade, transport links and economic cooperation across Eurasia.

What is the SCO?

The SCO traces its roots to the "Shanghai Five," established in 1996 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to reduce military tensions and address border disputes following the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Uzbekistan joined when the SCO was formally established in 2001, and the grouping remained largely centred on China, Russia and Central Asia for much of its early history.

Its international profile grew significantly with its expansion. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.

For Iran, membership marked a major diplomatic opening after years of geopolitical isolation, while Belarus's accession reflected its broader pivot toward non-Western partners

Today, the organisation has 10 members: Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

Turkmenistan is the only Central Asian country outside the SCO, reflecting its longstanding policy of permanent neutrality. Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status, while dialogue partners include Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia.

Together, SCO members have a population of around 3.4 billion, span a vast stretch of Eurasia and account for around 25% of global GDP.

Unlike NATO, the SCO is not a military alliance, nor is it an economic union like the EU. Instead, its consensus-based structure provides a forum for security cooperation, economic ties and diplomacy among countries that do not necessarily share the same interests.

Diplomacy to watch in Bishkek

One of the most closely watched encounters will be between Xi and Modi as Asia's two most populous countries seek to build on a tentative thaw after years of tensions over their disputed Himalayan border.

Senior Chinese and Indian officials held another round of boundary talks in Beijing on August 25, agreeing to continue efforts toward a settlement and maintain stability along the frontier.

Relations deteriorated sharply after deadly border clashes in 2020, making the leaders' interactions in Bishkek an opportunity to gauge how far the recent improvement in ties has progressed.

The interaction between Xi and Putin will also offer a window into the increasingly close relationship between China and Russia and how the two powers coordinate within the SCO.

The gathering will also put the leaders of India and Pakistan in the same room just more than a year after the two nuclear-armed neighbours fought a brief conflict.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is slated to attend, bringing him together with Modi as tensions persist between the two countries, primarily over Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Another leader to watch will be Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who is scheduled to meet Putin on the sidelines of the summit, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

His visit comes as the US threatens increased secondary sanctions against countries and entities that continue doing business with Tehran.

What’s on the official agenda?

According to the SCO Secretariat, leaders are expected to discuss major regional and international security challenges, including conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, the situation in Afghanistan and India's relations with China and Pakistan.

The organisation has taken a more visible collective position in 2026 on Iran and the broader Middle East, including the Palestinian issue, calling for restraint, dialogue and political and diplomatic solutions.

At a July meeting, SCO foreign ministers expressed particular concern over developments in the Middle East and around Iran, reiterating that international conflicts should be settled through political and diplomatic means in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.

Afghanistan remains a longstanding regional priority, particularly because of concerns over terrorism, drug trafficking and cross-border security.

Ukraine is also expected to feature in discussions, though there has been no indication that the war will be a separate focus of the summit.

Relations between India and China and India and Pakistan are also expected to be discussed, bringing some of the SCO's own internal tensions onto the agenda.

Counterterrorism remains a core area of cooperation through the SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, based in Tashkent. The summit is expected to approve its plans for the coming year, including possible joint exercises.

Economic connectivity will be another major focus, with transport infrastructure and a proposed SCO Development Bank among the projects under discussion.

One major transport project involving SCO members is the 7,200-kilometre (4,474-mile) International North-South Transport Corridor, which links St. Petersburg with Mumbai through Iran and ports on the Persian Gulf.

The organisation also agreed in 2025 to establish a network of Silk Road Stations to support international freight traffic across Eurasia.

Members are meanwhile continuing talks on establishing an SCO Development Bank. A fourth round of consultations was held in Shenzhen in June, though its structure and operating arrangements remain under negotiation.

What comes next?

The SCO enters its second quarter-century as economic activity shifts toward Asia, supply chains are reconfigured and countries seek new trade and diplomatic partnerships.

For some members, it offers a platform to strengthen regional security. For others, it provides opportunities to expand economic ties, develop transport links and coordinate positions on international issues.

The summit is expected to produce a Bishkek Declaration marking the SCO's 25th anniversary, alongside documents on the organization's development and regional and international issues.

It will also mark the end of Kyrgyzstan's chairmanship and the handover to Pakistan, which is set to lead the organisation for the next year and host the 2027 leaders' summit.

The SCO lacks the binding commitments of a military alliance or economic union, but its scale has made it an increasingly significant forum for dialogue across Eurasia.

As leaders gather in Bishkek for its 25th anniversary, the summit underscores how an organisation founded to resolve border disputes has grown into a major multilateral grouping.

Its next challenge will be turning that scale into influence while maintaining consensus among an increasingly diverse membership.