One frame, four powers: Modi, Xi, Putin, Sharif together at SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared together in the official group photograph as leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gathered in Bishkek on Tuesday for the 26th summit.

Modi was also seen briefly speaking with Xi and Putin as the leaders posed for the traditional “family photograph” at Bishkek’s Yrys Ordo Congress Hall.

Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, who is hosting the summit and serving as its chairman, led a roundtable discussion at the same venue. Alongside Modi, Xi, Putin and Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon attended the gathering.

Modi meets Putin, Pezeshkian

Modi held talks with Putin on Monday, with discussions covering bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy and defence. The meeting came just over a week before Putin’s expected visit to India for the annual BRICS summit.

During the talks, Modi urged Putin to work towards ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, stressing India’s support for peace efforts.

“India supports all and every effort for peace and will continue to do so,” Modi said in televised remarks at the start of the meeting. Referring to Putin as “my friend”, he said there was a need to move from “endless war to end of war”.

Putin responded that Russia was “moving in this direction” without elaborating further. He also praised the strong strategic partnership between Russia and India, attributing it in part to Modi’s “personal, friendly relations”.

Earlier Monday, Modi met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. It was the first meeting between the two leaders in two years.

26th SCO summit

The 26th SCO Leadership Summit has brought together representatives from 10 member states, 15 partner countries and two observer states to discuss regional and global issues and strengthen cooperation.

The 10-member SCO represents around 25% of global GDP. The grouping seeks to promote long-term cooperation based on good-neighbourliness, friendship and shared interests, while emphasising universally recognised principles and norms of international law.