Bishkek: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov on the sidelines of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here and discussed ways to further strengthen the India-Kyrgyzstan Strategic Partnership.
Sharing details of the meeting, Modi described the talks as “very fruitful” and said he conveyed Independence Day greetings to Zhaparov and the people of Kyrgyzstan. He also congratulated the President on the country’s successful SCO Chairmanship.
The two leaders discussed expanding cooperation in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, information technology, critical minerals, agriculture, digital technologies and infrastructure, besides strengthening defence and security ties.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the leaders reviewed progress in bilateral relations and agreed to further enhance economic and commercial cooperation, taking into account the complementarities between the two economies.
They also discussed strengthening people-to-people ties through student exchanges, cultural cooperation, sports and tourism.
Modi congratulated Zhaparov for hosting the 26th SCO Summit and appreciated the hospitality extended to the Indian delegation. He also highlighted India’s active participation in SCO activities under Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were among those present at the meeting.
Modi is in Kyrgyzstan to attend the SCO Summit and the inauguration of the 6th World Nomad Games. India and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations in 1992 and have since developed cooperation across defence, security, trade and investment, with both countries also sharing concerns over terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking.
