Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to participate in the 25th Summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Heads of State. He is also likely to visit Tashkent, Uzbekistan prior to Bishkek. These visits will, inter alia, provide a significant impetus to India’s engagement with Central Asia, which India characterises as its extended neighbourhood.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to participate in the 25th Summit of SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) Heads of State on 31 August–1 September 2026. In addition to meeting Sadyr Japarov, the President of Kyrgyzstan, he is also likely to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as well as leaders of the other Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan—who are expected to be present.

Before his visit to Bishkek, PM Modi is also likely to visit Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on a bilateral visit to hold discussions with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on further diversifying and expanding bilateral ties. Although no formal announcement has been made about this visit so far (as of 24 August), indications of the visit were provided by the Uzbek foreign minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, during his recent visit (2–5 August) to India. He had then stated that the primary objective of his visit was to lay the groundwork for an upcoming visit by PM Modi to Uzbekistan.

These visits will, inter alia, provide a significant impetus to India’s engagement with Central Asia, which India characterises as its extended neighbourhood. The region has been given sharper focus since PM Modi assumed power in 2014. In addition to other initiatives, India organised the first India–Central Asia Summit in a virtual format at the level of Heads of State/ Government on 27 January 2022. Several far-reaching decisions were adopted at this Summit.

Although efforts have been made over the last four and a half years to provide additional momentum to bilateral ties, it is felt that the forward movement has failed to realise the potential and energy expected in early 2022. It is hoped that the current visit by PM Modi and his interactions in Bishkek and Tashkent will invigorate bilateral and regional ties and help chalk out a roadmap for the future intensification of relations.

Evolution of Ties in Modi Era

Just over a year after becoming PM, Modi travelled to all five Central Asian countries in July 2015, becoming the first Indian PM to do so. The last 10 years have witnessed an appreciable upswing in bilateral partnership and engagement with these countries. The rapidly changing dynamics of Central Asia’s regional and global political, strategic, and economic architecture present a significant opportunity for India to diversify and deepen its partnerships with these countries.

The most significant development during this period was the Central Asia India Summit, hosted by PM Modi in a virtual format on 27 January 2022. In a historic decision to transition from bilateral outreach to a structured, strategic partnership, it was decided to institutionalise the Summit mechanism and hold Summits every two years. Far-reaching proposals to further cooperation in areas of trade and connectivity, development cooperation, defence and security, and, in particular, cultural and people-to-people contacts were also discussed. A comprehensive Joint Declaration was adopted, outlining their........

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