PM Modi to visit Uzbekistan from August 29

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will journey to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on August 29-30 and August 31-September 1 respectively, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The visit aims to bolster ties between India and SCO member nations while addressing shared security, trade, and connectivity concerns. With China and India seeking to mend their strained relationship, the SCO summit provides a platform for cooperation and dialogue.

The SCO comprises 12 countries, including India, China, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. Chinese President Xi Jinping is also slated to attend the summit, where he will likely discuss deepening cooperation among SCO members and tackling broader regional and international issues.

The India-China relationship has shown signs of improvement, with bilateral relations experiencing positive momentum since the leaders met at the SCO summit in Tianjin in 2025. Since then, both nations have taken steps to increase people-to-people contact, facilitate travel, and strengthen connectivity. Moreover, China has advocated for the establishment of an SCO Development Bank to further economic cooperation among member states.

Ahead of the SCO summit, India and China's leaders, along with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, held discussions to expand bilateral cooperation, maintain stability in border areas, and make progress towards boundary delimitation. The Special Representatives mechanism serves as a crucial channel for resolving the long-standing India-China border dispute, which stretches over 3,488 kilometers.

In addition to the SCO summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit India in September for the BRICS summit scheduled for September 12 and 13.