Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan trips could open space for talks with Xi and underline India’s regional priorities.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit two Central Asian countries towards the end of the month, beginning with Uzbekistan and proceeding to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
According to reports, Modi is likely to visit Uzbekistan on August 28 before travelling to the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, for the SCO Summit scheduled for August 31 and September 1. New Delhi has, however, not officially announced the visit or its dates.
Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov visited New Delhi earlier this month and held talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. During the meeting, Dr Jaishankar said bilateral relations had expanded into diverse fields, including construction, digital technology, energy, health and education.
He said the two countries wanted to extend cooperation to mining and increase bilateral trade, which was nearing $1 billion.
The Bishkek summit assumes significance as the SCO is primarily regarded as a Central Asian grouping. Its 10 members are India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is also expected to attend the summit, potentially providing an opportunity for a bilateral meeting with Modi on the sidelines. There has, however, been no official announcement of such a meeting.
India will host the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13. New Delhi is hoping that Xi will attend it, a visit that could further indicate an improvement in India-China relations.
Modi is also expected to come face-to-face with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Bishkek. Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours remain strained, and no bilateral meeting is expected on the sidelines.
Modi is likely to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism, a longstanding concern for India and a major focus of the SCO. Economic cooperation and regional connectivity are also expected to figure prominently in the discussions.
Kyrgyzstan is holding its SCO presidency under the theme, “25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”
