Leaders Of India, China, Russia, And Pakistan Gather For Group Photograph At SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were captured in the same frame as heads of state of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gathered in Bishkek on Tuesday for the 26th Summit's official group photograph at the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall. As the leaders assembled for the family photograph, PM Modi was seen briefly exchanging words and sharing a handshake with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in what was described as a warm interaction between the two leaders on the sidelines of the gathering.

The photograph, a traditional feature of the annual SCO summit, brought together an unusually high-profile lineup of leaders this year as the bloc marked the 25th anniversary of its founding. Alongside Modi, Xi, Putin and Sharif, the gathering also included Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, among other heads of state and government. Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov, who is hosting this year's summit as its rotating chair, led the proceedings and a subsequent roundtable discussion held at the same venue.

The 26th SCO Summit, running from August 31 to September 1 under the theme of "sustainable peace, development and prosperity," marks a quarter-century since the organisation's establishment in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The bloc has expanded significantly since then, with India and Pakistan joining as full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024, bringing the SCO's current membership to 10 countries alongside 15 dialogue partners and two observer states, Afghanistan and Mongolia. This year's edition is being held in an expanded "SCO Plus" format, drawing leaders and representatives from more than a dozen additional associated countries.

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Ahead of the group photograph, Modi held a separate bilateral meeting with Putin, after which the two leaders travelled together in the same car to the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games at Bishkek Arena, a biennial event celebrating the sporting traditions and cultural heritage of nomadic civilisations. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared visuals from the event, noting that Modi, along with other SCO leaders, took part in the ceremony and greeted members of the Indian contingent participating in the games. Putin was also expected to hold separate talks with Pezeshkian and Xi over the course of the summit, according to Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov.

Modi is scheduled to address the summit's main session, where he is expected to highlight India's priorities around security, connectivity and economic opportunity within the SCO framework. The presence of Modi, Xi, Putin and Sharif together in the same official photograph is likely to draw close attention given the complex and often strained bilateral dynamics among the four leaders, even as the SCO format has historically provided a venue for such leaders to appear together despite ongoing tensions between their respective countries.

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