Bishkek, Aug 30 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday to attend the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.
Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev received PM Modi at Manas International Airport in Bishkek.
Several bilateral engagements are also going to take place during the Prime Minister’s visit to the Central Asian nation.
“India has been an active and constructive member of the SCO since 2017. I look forward to advancing India’s vision for the region, anchored in Security, Connectivity and Opportunity, and to working with fellow members for a region free from the scourge of terrorism, separatism and extremism, which continue to threaten peace and stability in our neighbourhood and beyond,” PM Modi, said in the departure statement before he emplaned for his two-nation tour to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on Saturday
“I also look forward to meeting President (Sadyr) Zhaparov (Kyrgyzstan) and other SCO leaders, and to attending the Opening Ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games, a celebration of the rich living heritage of Central Asia that India holds in deep respect,” the Prime Minister said.
“I am confident that this visit will strengthen India’s strategic partnerships in Central Asia, deepen our civilisational connect with the region, and advance our shared pursuit of peace, stability and prosperity, values that lie at the heart of India’s engagement with the world,” he added.
Kyrgyzstan expects PM Modi’s visit to give a major boost to bilateral economic ties, investment and trade, with the country keen to attract more Indian companies to sectors including infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, technology and agro-industry, Kyrgyzstan’s Investment Minister Ravshanbek Sabirov said on Saturday.
Sabirov described PM Modi’s visit as a very significant event for Kyrgyzstan and said the historic visit would help take cooperation between the two countries to a new level.
“We expect this visit to further strengthen the investment potential and economic cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and India,” he said, adding that bilateral trade between the two countries reached around $91 million in 2024.
–IANS
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