Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, marking their first in-person meeting since the Iran war earlier this year. During the meeting, Pezeshkian thanked India for its cooperation and emphasized that dialogue rather than confrontation is the way out of ongoing regional tensions, calling for intensified efforts to prevent further escalation.
The two leaders discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in transportation and maritime affairs, specifically referencing the Strait of Hormuz and the development of Iran’s Chabahar Port. Modi expressed concern about regional instability, reiterated India’s preference for resolving disputes through diplomacy, and called for protecting freedom of navigation and safeguarding civilian shipping and infrastructure. Modi also invited Pezeshkian to visit India for the upcoming BRICS summit.