Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for uncompromising action against terrorism and trusted regional connectivity at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, where leaders adopted the Bishkek Declaration, four memoranda of understanding and more than 20 decisions and statements.
The 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State was held in the Kyrgyz capital on August 31 and September 1. The meeting also marked the organisation’s 25th anniversary, prompting leaders to review its development and discuss its future role in regional security, stability and economic cooperation.
Modi framed India’s approach around security, connectivity and opportunity. He said the grouping should translate these pillars into concrete outcomes and reiterated India’s position that conflicts cannot be resolved on the battlefield, placing emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy.
On terrorism, the Prime Minister sought sustained action to dismantle the wider ecosystem that enables extremist violence. He also warned against double standards, a position India has repeatedly advanced in multilateral forums when pressing for consistent treatment of terrorist groups, their sponsors and support networks.
Afghanistan featured in the security discussion because developments there have direct consequences for Eurasia. Modi linked regional security to peace and stability in Afghanistan and referred to India’s development and humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people.
Connectivity formed the second major part of India’s intervention. Modi supported initiatives that connect markets, facilitate trade and create development opportunities, while underlining that such projects must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of participating countries. That qualification remains central to India’s assessment of cross-border infrastructure proposals in the region.
The summit adopted decisions and statements covering areas including climate, nuclear safety, energy conservation and action against drug addiction. India-backed initiatives reflected in the Bishkek Declaration included making English an official language of the SCO Charter framework, a Civilisation Dialogue Forum, a Young Scientist Forum and a Young Authors’ Conclave.
India has offered to host the first SCO Civilisation Dialogue Forum later in 2026. The initiative is intended to build exchanges among the diverse societies represented in the organisation and add a people-to-people dimension to its political and economic agenda.
The SCO brings together countries across Eurasia and provides a platform for discussion on security, trade, connectivity and regional cooperation. Its broad membership also produces differences over strategic priorities, making consensus documents and practical programmes important measures of progress.
The Bishkek outcomes gave India space to place its established concerns—terrorism, sovereignty and transparent connectivity—within the organisation’s future roadmap. They also widened the agenda through youth, scientific and cultural initiatives.
With the summit concluded, implementation will shift to ministerial meetings, working groups and member-state follow-up. India’s proposed dialogue forum and the initiatives recorded in the declaration will be tested by the extent to which they produce sustained cooperation beyond the annual leaders’ meeting.
