SCO Summit: Focus on Regional Security, Connectivity Projects and Countering Cross-Border Terror

SCO Summit: Focus On Energy Security, Regional Connectivity And Counter-TerrorismThe Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit agenda highlights key priorities including multilateral cooperation for nuclear safety and security, energy efficiency, and regional connectivity. Member states are considering proposed outcome documents addressing preventive diplomacy, emergency disaster assistance, green technology corridors, and combating synthetic drug trafficking. The inclusion of English as an official working language is also featured among the key summit discussions. Focus areas include sustaining energy supplies, securing uranium and critical mineral supply chains, and exploring multilateral mechanisms for energy security. Regional connectivity initiatives, including transport corridors and the International North-South Transport Corridor, remain linked to a secure regional environment and counter-terrorism cooperation. The summit deliberations also encompass cybersecurity, economic cooperation, the SCO Development Bank, and strategic developments concerning regional stability across Central and South Asia.PM Modi Handshake With Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin At SCO; Focus On Regional TiesVisuals from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit show Prime Minister Narendra Modi having a brief handshake with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting gains significance amid strategic differences and border discussions between India and China, including the visit of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Beijing for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Discussions also highlighted India's consistent position that bilateral issues should be resolved through dedicated mechanisms while ensuring that territorial integrity and sovereignty are respected within regional organisations. For India, the grouping represents security, connectivity, and opportunity, with an emphasis on minimising differences and maximising consensus across the member states. Key focus areas include expanding Central Asian and Eurasian connectivity, strengthening supply chains, exploring alternative payment systems, promoting startup ecosystems, and leveraging artificial intelligence for economic opportunities.SCO Summit: PM Modi Greets Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin; Cold Vibe With Shehbaz SharifAt the SCO Summit in Bishkek, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in brief exchanges with key world leaders, greeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit venue. PM Modi also met Iranian Foreign Minister Saeed Abbas Araqchi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and shared a hug with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. In contrast, there was no interaction or handshake between PM Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with both leaders seated at opposite ends of the round table. The summit agenda features the expected signing of 27 documents focusing on regional connectivity, artificial intelligence, and anti-terror cooperation under the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure. India emphasised counter-terrorism, counter-radicalisation, and territorial integrity, while looking ahead to hosting the upcoming BRICS Summit in New Delhi.SCO Summit: PM Modi Greets Xi Jinping, Meets Vladimir Putin, Raises Indian Seafarers IssueAt the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit venue in Bishkek, Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly shook hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyed Abbas Araghchi. Prime Minister Modi also met Russian President Vladimir Putin before the formal photograph, greeted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and hugged United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Although no formal bilateral meeting took place between India and China due to scheduling ahead of the upcoming BRICS Summit in India, key discussions occurred regarding India-Russia strategic ties and bilateral cooperation. During engagements with Russian and Iranian leadership, Prime Minister Modi emphasised resolving conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. He also raised concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers navigating vulnerable maritime corridors in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea, asserting that civilian crews crucial to global supply chains must be protected. Furthermore, discussions focused on regional connectivity, economic partnerships, and combating cross-border terrorism.