Xi, Putin, Modi, and Pezeshkian Convene in Bishkek for SCO's 25th-Anniversary Summit

On August 31, 2026, leaders of China, Russia, India, Iran, and four Central Asian states opened a two-day SCO summit in Bishkek marking the bloc's 25th anniversary. UN Secretary-General Guterres and ASEAN's Kao Kim Hourn attended, widening the gathering's institutional reach. The SCO began in 1996 as a border-dispute mechanism; it now spans security and economic cooperation across Eurasia.