PM Modi, Putin and Xi make a statement with handshake moment at SCO Summit

PM Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping shared a striking moment of camaraderie at the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on Tuesday, with the three leaders smiling and forming a chain as they shook hands.The moment was captured as SCO leaders gathered for the official family photograph, a traditional feature of the annual summit.A video posted by the Kremlin pool captured the Prime Minister and the two Presidents smiling as they held hands in a brief but striking display of bonhomie.The Kremlin pool shared the video with the caption: “Strategic alignment: Russia-India-China.” While PM Modi and Putin held a bilateral meeting on Monday, no one-on-one meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled. As PM Modi briefly exchanged words with Xi and Putin before posing for the group photograph earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was seen approaching the Russian President moments later.As Putin walked away from the podium, Sharif appeared to stop him by holding his hand before engaging him in a conversation. 2026 SCO Summit family photo. (Reuters) The latest visuals bring back memories of another much-noticed PM Modi-Putin-Xi moment at the 25th SCO Summit in China last year.At the time, the Prime Minister and Putin were welcomed by Xi as they entered the summit venue, following which the three leaders engaged in a lengthy conversation marked by handshakes and laughter.Their interaction soon turned into a huddle as their aides gathered around them, with the conversation lasting nearly a minute and a half.Visuals later showed PM Modi and Putin walking past Sharif as leaders lined up for a group photograph ahead of the plenary session. 2025 SCO Summit family photo. (Reuters) The episode came after PM Modi and Sharif had been seen keeping their distance at the 2025 summit. In one family photograph, the two leaders stood several places apart, while at a banquet they were seen seated with their backs turned to each other.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Sep 1, 2026 13:36 IST