PM Modi, Putin and Xi make a statement with handshake moment at SCO Summit - India Today

**New Delhi – Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (Sept 1, 2026)** – The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek turned into a symbolic showcase of geopolitical realignment when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping stood together for a joint handshake on the opening day. The three leaders, flanked by delegations from Iran, Kazakhstan and other member states, used the moment to signal a “shared commitment to multilateral cooperation and regional stability,” according to the summit’s official communiqué. Observers noted that the photograph, widely circulated by state media, underscored the deepening strategic ties among the three powers amid escalating tensions in the Indo‑Pacific and Europe.

During his address to the SCO assembly, Modi seized the platform to condemn cross‑border terrorism, explicitly linking recent attacks in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir to “sanctuaries in Pakistan.” He urged member states to bolster intelligence sharing and joint security mechanisms, a message that resonated with the Russian and Chinese delegations. In a parallel statement, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking at a side press conference, accused India of politicising the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that “water diplomacy must not be weaponised.” The exchange highlighted lingering bilateral frictions even as the broader SCO agenda focused on connectivity, trade, and counter‑terrorism.

The summit also marked the first attendance of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who arrived alongside his foreign minister, signaling Tehran’s renewed engagement with the SCO bloc after years of diplomatic isolation. Delegations discussed a slate of initiatives ranging from a digital Silk Road to joint energy projects, with particular emphasis on enhancing rail links that would connect India’s northeastern corridor to Central Asian markets via Kyrgyzstan. While the handshake moment captured global headlines, analysts caution that substantive cooperation will depend on resolving underlying disputes—particularly the Indo‑Pakistani water issue and the broader security architecture of South Asia.