PM Modi meets Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan - The Hindu

**Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek**

*Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan* – On the third day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian at the summit venue in Bishkek. The two leaders exchanged greetings and discussed a broad agenda that included deepening economic ties, enhancing energy cooperation, and coordinating on regional security challenges. While the SCO summit itself focuses on multilateral issues such as counter‑terrorism and connectivity, the bilateral talks underscored India’s intention to expand its engagement with Tehran beyond the multilateral framework.

In the meeting, Modi highlighted India’s “strategic imperative” to diversify its trade portfolio and reduce dependence on a narrow set of partners. He reiterated New Delhi’s willingness to import Iranian crude oil and natural gas under existing arrangements, and signaled openness to new ventures in petro‑chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and information‑technology services. President Pezeshkian, for his part, emphasized Iran’s interest in expanding non‑oil exports to India, particularly in the areas of agricultural products, minerals, and high‑value manufactured goods. Both sides agreed to explore a “comprehensive trade roadmap” that could pave the way for a revised bilateral trade agreement, potentially bypassing some of the constraints imposed by international sanctions.

Beyond economics, the dialogue touched upon shared concerns over regional stability, especially the situation in Afghanistan and the threat of extremist networks operating across Central Asia. The leaders affirmed the importance of the SCO as a platform for coordinated security cooperation and pledged to work together within the organization to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, and illicit finance. The meeting concluded with a joint statement expressing a commitment to “strengthen people‑to‑people contacts, expand cultural exchanges, and foster a climate of mutual trust that will benefit both nations and the broader SCO community.”