Modi Begins Uzbekistan Visit With Focus on SCO Summit Talks

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Uzbekistan on Saturday, August 29, 2026, beginning a two-nation visit, according to Hindustan Times. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev received him upon landing, the outlet reported.

Modi is scheduled to hold talks with Mirziyoyev in Tashkent, per Telangana Today. The discussions are expected to cover bilateral ties between India and Uzbekistan, though specific agenda items were not detailed in the reports.

The visit is tied to the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is set to take place in Kyrgyzstan. Ahead of the summit, Modi said he would work with the SCO to free the region from terrorism, The Times of India reported. That statement signals counterterrorism cooperation will be a key theme of his engagements.

The Sunday Guardian reported that Modi is also expected to conduct a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan. That meeting would come amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two leaders within multilateral forums.

narendra modi

The trip marks another step in India's outreach to Central Asian nations, a region where New Delhi has sought to deepen economic and security ties in recent years. Uzbekistan, in particular, has been a partner in connectivity projects and regional stability efforts.

What to watch next: the outcome of Modi's talks in Tashkent and whether the SCO summit produces joint statements on counterterrorism and regional security.