Iranian President to meet PM Modi in Bishkek amid regional tensions and security concerns…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit and the SCO Plus meeting, Iran’s state-run IRNA News Agency reported on Monday.
Pezeshkian departed Tehran for Bishkek to attend and address the SCO Summit and SCO Plus meeting, where he is also expected to hold talks with several regional leaders, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
According to IRNA, the Iranian President will also attend the official opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Games at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.
Ahead of his departure, Pezeshkian said Iran did not seek war but would respond with “strength and determination” to any aggression, while stressing that instability in the region was detrimental to all countries.
He called for greater regional convergence to advance shared economic and security interests, describing the SCO gathering as an important platform bringing together diverse and independent voices on the global stage.
“This meeting is very important and most of the leaders of the region will be present in it,” Pezeshkian said, according to IRNA. He added that the gathering represented the presence of diverse and independent voices at a time when some international institutions were seeking to create greater uniformity in global affairs.
Highlighting the shared historical and civilisational ties among countries in the region, Pezeshkian said their long history of interaction and coexistence provided a foundation for strengthening cooperation in peace, security, economic development and cultural exchange.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Bishkek on Sunday for the 26th SCO Summit, marking the second leg of his two-nation visit after concluding his state visit to Uzbekistan.
Modi was received at the airport by Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic. The Prime Minister is visiting Bishkek at the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov.
The 26th SCO Summit will bring together leaders of member states to deliberate on key regional and international developments and explore ways to strengthen cooperation within the grouping.
PM Modi is also scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, with his anticipated talks with President Pezeshkian expected to draw particular attention amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the region.
