Foreign News
Modi Meets Pezeshkian, Putin in Bishkek
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put West Asia, maritime security and the future of India-Iran ties at the centre of their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on Monday.
The meeting came amid renewed tensions between Iran and the United States and growing concerns over the impact of the conflict on regional stability, trade and shipping. It also took place weeks before Pezeshkian is due to travel to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit.
The meeting with Pezeshkian was part of a wider series of bilateral engagements for Modi in Bishkek.
These included a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where Modi reiterated India’s position that all conflicts must be resolved peacefully, and said that President Putin’s visit to the BRICS summit in New Delhi in September will strengthen relations between Russia and India.
#WATCH | PM @narendramodi holds a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the #SCOSummit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The two leaders discussed the India-Russia partnership, trade and economic cooperation, global developments, the Ukraine conflict… pic.twitter.com/6NGLUoMon4
— DD India (@DDIndialive) August 31, 2026
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) readout, Modi and Pezeshkian first reviewed the state of bilateral relations before discussing the latest developments in West Asia.
Modi expressed concern over the escalation and reiterated India’s consistent position that outstanding issues should be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy. The Prime Minister also stressed the need for sustained efforts towards peace and stability in the region.
The strongest element of India’s message was the emphasis on maritime trade.
“Calling for safeguarding the freedom of navigation and commerce,” the MEA said Modi stressed that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including commercial shipping and seafarers, “must not be harmed under any circumstances.”
The reference places maritime security alongside diplomacy as a central concern for New Delhi. Disruptions to shipping in the region have implications for commercial traffic and the movement of energy supplies, making the security of sea lanes an important issue in India’s engagement with both Iran and the wider West Asian region.
In a post on X after the meeting, Modi said India remained committed to strengthening its longstanding relationship with Iran. He also said New Delhi wanted to broaden the economic relationship.
“We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come,” Modi said.
He added that the two leaders had discussed the prevailing situation in the region and said India would continue to support efforts aimed at securing lasting peace.
The emphasis on expanding and diversifying trade comes as India and Iran seek to maintain their broader economic and connectivity relationship despite sanctions and geopolitical disruptions.
The Iranian readout provided a more detailed account of Pezeshkian’s position on the conflict. According to Tehran’s account, the Iranian president thanked India for its support and cooperation during the recent war and called for greater diplomatic efforts to restore peace and security.
Pezeshkian said his administration had sought to resolve disputes through negotiations rather than military confrontation.
“From the very beginning of our administration, our efforts have been focused on ensuring peace and security and resolving issues through dialogue and negotiations,” he said.
The Iranian president criticised Washington’s approach, saying the US had chosen “the path of war, insecurity and imposing their will through force” rather than using diplomatic mechanisms.
At the same time, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran did not seek war.
“Our responsibility requires us to protect our people from danger and insecurity and to create the conditions necessary for them to achieve peace, tranquillity and security,” he said, according to the Iranian readout.
The Iranian side said Pezeshkian told Modi that the answer to the crisis lay in dialogue and cooperation. He also appealed for India to play a constructive diplomatic role.
Pezeshkian argued that responsible countries should strengthen the forces working for peace and prevent the conflict from spreading. “We believe that by strengthening the forces committed to peace, we must move toward peace, stability and security,” he said.
Pezeshkian said Tehran was ready to deepen cooperation with India across political, economic, scientific and cultural fields. He also argued that stronger bilateral engagement could help both countries deal with the effects of sanctions and external restrictions.
The Iranian president further said Tehran was prepared to expand cooperation with New Delhi despite attempts to restrict Iran’s international relationships.
Met President Masoud Pezeshkian in Bishkek. Reiterated our commitment to strengthening India’s long standing friendship with Iran across diverse sectors. We want to expand and diversify our trade basket in the times to come.
We had a discussion on the prevailing situation in… pic.twitter.com/qagQy5o108
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2026
One notable omission from the Indian readout was Chabahar port, which has long been central to India’s connectivity plans and its wider engagement with Iran, particularly in relation to access towards Afghanistan and Central Asia.
Chabahar was not specifically referred to in the official Indian account of Monday’s meeting.
Instead, New Delhi’s readout focused on bilateral relations, the West Asia conflict, freedom of navigation and commerce, protection of civilians and cooperation through multilateral platforms.
The Bishkek meeting also looked ahead to the next major engagement between the two leaders.
Modi reiterated India’s readiness to work closely with Iran through organisations including the SCO and BRICS. The MEA said the Prime Minister “looked forward to welcoming President Pezeshkian to India for the BRICS Summit.”
The New Delhi summit will give Pezeshkian another opportunity to engage directly with Modi and other major powers as Iran seeks diplomatic space amid its confrontation with Washington.
The Prime Minister also met Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov and discussed ways to give fresh momentum to the India-Kyrgyzstan strategic partnership. The discussions covered healthcare, pharmaceuticals, IT, minerals, agriculture, digital technologies and infrastructure, along with defence and security ties, tourism, sports and people-to-people exchanges.
And during his talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the two sides reviewed cooperation in defence, the economy, pharmaceuticals, science and technology, culture and education.
