Some of Eurasia’s most powerful leaders will gather next week in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit shaped by improving ties, longstanding rivalries and regional conflicts.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the September 1 Heads of State summit, which marks the group's 25th anniversary.
The meeting comes amid a tentative thaw in China-India relations following years of border tensions, while India and Pakistan navigate the aftermath of their brief conflict in 2025.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will also attend as Tehran faces growing US economic pressure. Conflicts and instability in the Middle East, Ukraine and Afghanistan are expected to feature in discussions.
What is the SCO?
The SCO traces its roots to the Shanghai Five, established in 1996 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to reduce military tensions and address border disputes after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Uzbekistan joined when the SCO was formally established in 2001. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
The organisation now has 10 members: Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
Afghanistan and Mongolia have observer status, while Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia are among its dialogue partners.
The SCO represents around 3.4 billion people and roughly 25 percent of global GDP. Unlike NATO or the EU, it is neither a military alliance nor an economic union, but a forum for security cooperation, economic ties and diplomacy.
Key meetings in Bishkek
Xi and Modi are expected to draw particular attention as they seek to build on improved ties following years of tensions over their disputed Himalayan border.
The two countries held another round of boundary talks in Beijing on August 25, agreeing to continue efforts towards a settlement and maintain stability along the frontier.
The summit will also bring Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif together more than a year after their countries fought a brief conflict, with Kashmir remaining a major source of tension.
Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet Putin on the sidelines of the summit, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency, as the US threatens increased secondary sanctions against countries and entities doing business with Tehran.
Security and economic priorities
According to the SCO Secretariat, leaders are expected to discuss regional and international security challenges, including the Middle East, Ukraine and Afghanistan, as well as India's relations with China and Pakistan.
Counterterrorism will remain a key area of cooperation, while economic connectivity is also expected to feature prominently.
Members are continuing discussions on an SCO Development Bank and have backed projects aimed at improving transport and freight links across Eurasia, including the 7,200-kilometre International North-South Transport Corridor linking St Petersburg with Mumbai through Iran.
The summit is expected to produce a Bishkek Declaration marking the organisation's 25th anniversary alongside documents on regional and international issues.
It will also mark the end of Kyrgyzstan's chairmanship and the handover to Pakistan, which is set to lead the SCO for the next year and host the 2027 summit.
The meeting will highlight the SCO's evolution from a group focused on border disputes into a major forum for dialogue among countries with often competing interests.
