PM Modi meets Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of SCO summit in Kyrgyzstan
A bilateral meeting was held between India's Prime Minister and Iran's President on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Kyrgyzstan
The discussion covered the need for continued efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region, and for safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce
The engagement took place amid a series of bilateral meetings held by regional leaders on the summit's sidelines
The meeting reaffirmed the broader India-Iran relationship, which spans connectivity, energy, and regional security cooperation
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
The SCO is a Eurasian political, security, and economic grouping that has grown from a founding bloc of six states into one of the largest regional organisations by population and geographic coverage, giving India a multilateral platform to engage Central Asian states, Russia, China, and now Iran together.
The Modi-Pezeshkian meeting was held specifically "on the sidelines" of the SCO summit, illustrating how the SCO functions as a convening platform for bilateral diplomacy beyond its formal multilateral agenda — a structure distinct from the SCO's own institutional decision-making.
India-Iran Connectivity — Chabahar Port and the INSTC
India's engagement with Iran is anchored significantly in connectivity projects that give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia while bypassing Pakistan, making Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) recurring themes whenever Indian and Iranian leaders meet.
Key Details
- India, Iran, and Afghanistan signed a trilateral Chabahar Agreement in May 2016 to develop the Chabahar Port transit corridor
- India signed a long-term (10-year) contract in 2024 to operate and upgrade Chabahar Port's Shahid Beheshti terminal
- Chabahar serves as the eastern gateway to the INSTC, a multi-modal (sea-rail-road) corridor linking India, Iran, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe, projected to cut transit costs by around 30% and time by around 40% compared to traditional routes
- The INSTC is distinct from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which India does not participate in due to sovereignty concerns over its route through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
Discussions on regional stability between the two leaders sit against the backdrop of India's continuing investment in the Chabahar-INSTC connectivity architecture, which depends on stable operating conditions in Iran and the wider region.
Freedom of Navigation and Maritime Commerce
Freedom of navigation refers to the principle, codified under international law, that vessels of all states may navigate the high seas and exclusive economic zones without undue interference, a principle central to India's stated position on maritime security in waters near the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz through which a significant share of India's energy imports transit.
Key Details
- Freedom of navigation is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, particularly regarding innocent passage and transit passage through international straits
- A large share of India's crude oil and LNG imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making regional stability in the Persian Gulf directly relevant to India's energy security
- India routinely invokes "freedom of navigation and overflight" in joint statements across multiple regions (Indo-Pacific, West Asia) as a consistent principle rather than a region-specific position
- India has conducted naval deployments (e.g., anti-piracy and escort operations) in the Gulf of Aden and the wider West Asian maritime space to protect commercial shipping
Raising "freedom of navigation and commerce" in the meeting reflects India's consistent diplomatic emphasis on unimpeded sea lanes in a region where instability could directly disrupt India's energy imports and trade routes.
- SCO founded: 2001 (as Shanghai Five since 1996); India and Pakistan admitted as full members in 2017; Iran admitted 2023; Belarus 2024
- Chabahar trilateral agreement: signed May 2016 (India-Iran-Afghanistan); 10-year port operation contract signed 2024
- INSTC: multi-modal corridor connecting India, Iran, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe; projected ~30% cost and ~40% time savings over conventional routes
- UNCLOS: adopted 1982, governs freedom of navigation and passage through international straits
- SCO's Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): headquartered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan