New Delhi, 27 August (H.S.):

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan from Saturday, during which he will attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the 26th SCO Summit to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from August 31 to September 1. The summit is being organised to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, of which India has been a full member since 2017.

During the summit, Prime Minister Modi will address the gathering and highlight India’s priorities concerning security, connectivity and opportunities. He will also hold bilateral meetings with other SCO leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games, which celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Central Asia.

Prior to the SCO Summit, Prime Minister Modi will visit Uzbekistan, where he will undertake a state visit to Tashkent on August 29-30. This will be his fourth visit to the country.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold delegation-level talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The two leaders will review bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence, digital connectivity, energy, education and people-to-people ties, besides outlining a future roadmap for cooperation.

They are also expected to discuss ways to advance their shared development objectives under India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Uzbekistan-2030.

During his stay in Tashkent, Prime Minister Modi may also visit the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial and the Mahatma Gandhi Centre at Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar