NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial in Bishkek and interacted with members of Indian and Kyrgyz communities ahead of the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.PM Modi paid his respects at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial before participating in the SCO Summit in the Kyrgyz capital. The statue was unveiled by PM Modi during his visit to Kyrgyzstan in 2015.PM Modi also met members of various communities, including those associated with Indian culture, yoga and the Indian diaspora.During the interaction, PM Modi received a copy of Manas: Kyrgyz Veergatha Kavya from members of the community.Members of the Kyrgyz cultural and yoga communities also spoke about their participation in workshops and performances promoting Indian traditions, including Odissi and yoga.Danil Rykov, President of the Yoga Federation of Kyrgyzstan, said, “It’s been an incredible joy for us. It’s been such an honor to participate in the workshops and especially in the performance here. For us, to have the opportunity to share the same stage with these great maestros and outstanding personalities was an immense joy and we really believe that this can open up new opportunities for our future events, to increase this marvelous and beautiful collaboration between our associations and our cultures.”Jyldyz Kuvatova, founder of the Art of Living Foundation in Kyrgyzstan and professor at the American University of Central Asia, said, “We’re so excited to be here. In just four days, we had more than four hours of intensive workshops every day and we had meetings with great personalities, our teachers and the maestros. It was so intense, but it’s so much worth it. And we had a performance, we’re very excited and thank you for inviting us.“Hatha yoga instructor Arina Niiazbekova, who is also associated with classical theatre, ballet and Indian classical dance, said the workshops provided an opportunity to learn from renowned gurus and performers.“I work in the theatre, classical theatre, and I am ballet soloist, teacher, choreographer and the leader of the classical group. And also I perform classical Indian dance. And today we are meeting for the festival. It was really exciting time and we performed today. I’m performing in front of great gurus, masters and great soloists. I was extremely happy to see old friends and new friends today here. I think it is very useful for each of us to have workshops like we had with gurus,” she said.PM Modi also interacted with members of the Indian community in Bishkek.Aditya Bhushan Mitra, Director of Kyrgyzstan-based Pylon Traders, described his participation in the cultural programme as an “incredible experience”.“Namaskar and it was an incredible experience being here. And also, for me, it was an incredible opportunity to learn from our teachers, from the great personalitiesand to show our culture and everything. It was just like a dream coming true,” he said.
PM Modi in Bishkek for SCO Summit
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi has arrived in Bishkek to participate in the 26th SCO Leadership Summit, which brings together 10 member states, 15 partner countries and two observer countries for discussions on regional and global issues.PM Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, including with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin.His visit to Bishkek is the second leg of his two-country tour following his State Visit to Uzbekistan, where he held talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
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During the Uzbekistan visit, India and Uzbekistan elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and agreed to expand cooperation in areas including trade, investment, infrastructure, digital public infrastructure, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, energy, space, agriculture, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education and culture.The two sides also set a target of increasing bilateral trade to USD 5 billion by 2030.Before leaving Tashkent, PM Modi thanked President Mirziyoyev for his hospitality, saying, “Thank you, Uzbekistan! Gratitude to President Mirziyoyev for his warmth, attention to detail, and personal commitment to the India-Uzbekistan friendship.”During the visit, PM Modi also paid floral tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri at the Shastri Memorial in Tashkent. “Paid homage to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji in Tashkent. We remember a towering statesman whose unwavering commitment to the nation continues to inspire generations,” he said.