PM Modi Kyrgyzstan Visit highlights: PM lands in Kyrgyzstan, will take part in SCO Summit in Bishkek | Hindustan Times - Hindustan Times

**Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Kyrgyzstan ahead of SCO summit**

New Delhi – Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down in Bishkek on Tuesday, marking the first visit by an Indian premier to Kyrgyzstan in more than a decade. The three‑day itinerary includes bilateral talks with President Sadyr Japarov on expanding trade, connectivity and people‑to‑people contacts, as well as Modi’s participation in the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled for later this week. The SCO gathering, attended by leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and other member states, is expected to focus on regional security, counter‑terrorism cooperation and economic integration.

While in Central Asia, Modi also visited neighboring Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, where he paid tribute to former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at a memorial site and jointly planted a tree with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The symbolic gesture underscored the deepening cultural and historical ties between the two nations. In a parallel diplomatic move, Uzbekistan formally joined India in condemning recent cross‑border terrorist incidents, reaffirming a shared commitment to regional stability and the SCO’s anti‑terrorism agenda.

The Kyrgyzstan and Uzbek visits are part of a broader Indian initiative to upgrade its relationship with Central Asian states to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.” Officials in New Delhi have signalled plans to enhance cooperation in energy, digital infrastructure, and defence, while also expanding people‑to‑people exchanges. Uzbek President Mirziyoyev lauded the Prime Minister’s presence as “a grand moment of pride for every Indian,” reflecting the growing strategic importance India places on its Central Asian outreach as it seeks a more influential role within the SCO and the wider Eurasian landscape.