|
Athar Zafar
25 October 2026 |
1. SCO Summit in Kyrgyz Republic
In Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the 26th Heads of State Summit was held in Bishkek on 31 August-1 September 2026. The Summit marked the SCO’s 25th anniversary and was attended by leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping of China and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 10-member SCO Summit discussed regional security, stability, economic cooperation and the future direction. The summit demonstrates the importance of SCO as a forum for regional diplomacy and development.
SCO strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and termed the double standards in combatting terrorism as unacceptable. It called on the international community to combat terrorism, including the cross-border movement of terrorists.
Following the Summit, the Bishkek Declaration was issued addressing international security and sanctions. Members also discussed advancing cooperation in transport, digitalisation, energy and climate areas. There was emphasis on energy cooperation. SCO summit also issued joint statements on various aspects of energy, including on in energy conservation and energy efficiency, cooperation in energy systems, and strengthening partnership in nuclear area, encompassing atomic energy. From social perspective, the Summit was important as the leaders recognised the family is natural and fundamental unit of society. They issued a statement on supporting and strengthening the institution of the family.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Summit and said that over the past 25 years, the SCO has developed a strong tradition of dialogue and cooperation across Eurasia. He added that in 25 years a strong foundation for cooperation has been laid and in the 25 years the goal should be to translate this cooperation into tangible outcomes. And that people-to-people ties should remain at the heart of our cooperation. PM called for decisive action against terrorism and stressed that there should be no double standards in combating the terrorist ecosystem. Terming terrorism a serious challenge to humanity, he said the fight against terrorism cannot remain confined to an action-reaction approach. The entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation, and safe havens must be dismantled. It was also announced that India will be hosting the inauguration meeting of the SCO Civilizational Dialogue Forum (CDF) in 2026. In 2025, India initiated the CDF from the SCO platform.
On 1 September 2026, SCO leaders also held their wider Summit meeting in ‘SCO Plus’ format with observer states, dialogue partners, and representatives of international and regional organizations UN, CICA, EAEU, CSTO, and CIS. The theme of the meeting was “The UN as a Key Element of a Just World Order: The Contribution of the SCO Plus States to the Formation of a Multipolar World.”
2. Central Asia-South Korea summit
In recent years, Central Asian countries have evolved a ‘plus format’ of summit meetings with major international partners, including India, US, Japan, Russia, China, EU, GCC. On 16 September 2026, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung hosted leaders of five Central Asian countries and chaired the inaugural Korea-Central Asia Summit in Seoul. A Declaration was issued envisaging the cooperation between the two sides over the next 30 years.
The C5+Korea Summit institutionalizes their relations with the Summit to be held every two years and ministerial and official meetings in intervening period. The two sides identified areas to cooperate, including in critical minerals and energy, economy, technology, digital technology, trade diversification, investment, innovation, peace and stability, and strengthening people to people ties. South Korea and Central Asia seek to move towards cooperation in mineral processing, industrial production, research and supply-chain development.
3. Kazakhstan: New constitution and parliamentary elections
Kazakhstan’s new constitution took effect from 1 July 2026, which was approved by a referendum held in March 2026. The new constitution introduces a unicameral legislature, restores the vice presidency, and establishes a People’s Council. To replace the former bicameral Parliament with a chamber elected by nationwide proportional representation, elections to the new unicameral parliament, the Kurultai, was held on 23 August 2026. In the elections, the Adilet party won 71.17 per cent of the votes and secured 110 of 145 seats. There has been an increase of women representation, who hold 49 of the 145 seats (33.8%), while men hold 96 seats (66.2%).
4. Trade between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus
In the South Caucasus region, comprising of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, the process of bilateral development of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan remained critical in this duration. There have reports of trade between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including Azerbaijani oil-product exports to Armenia. Azerbaijan has lifted transit restrictions against Armenia and their trade has been growing.
On 10th August 2026, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the US marked the first anniversary of the White House Summit of President of the US Donald Trump, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, which was held on 8 August 2025. A joint statement marking the anniversary was issued, which reported progress in border stability, economic exchanges and preparations for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which aims to connect mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave in Armenia. It mentions that Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking concrete steps to normalize relations. The statement also mentions that the US has granted US$ 201 million to the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund to help bring private sector investment to the Trans-Caspian Trade Route (Middle Corridor) in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Dattesh ParulekarÂ
R Vidya
Athar Zafar
Adarsh Vijay
Ashik J Bonofer
Ramya B
Shreya Upadhyay
Lakshmi Karlekar
Anand V
Preetha Renganarayanan
Advik Sunanda Mohan
Advik Sunanda Mohan
Samraksha Mukund
NIAS Global Politics Team
NIAS Global Politics Team
Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R KudalkarÂ
Lekshmi MK
Glynnis Winona B
Namrata L Ghanghatkar and Urja Kudalkar
Lekshmi MK
Angelo Neil Augustine, Disha V, Yaazhini Thiruchelvi DD and Srishti HS
Preetha Renganarayanan
NIAS Global Politics Team
Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar
Preetha Renganarayanan
Akshath Kaimal
Namrata L Ghanghatkar
Urja R Kudalkar
Urja R Kudalkar
Nithin V
Sreemaya Nair
Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella, Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar
Akshath Kaimal
Yesasvi Koganti
Aparna A Nair
Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar
Priyanka Makhijani
Namrata L Ghanghatkar
Akshath Kaimal
Namrata L Ghanghatkar
Adwaith Sankar
Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar
Urja R Kudalkar
Adwaith Sankar
Dattesh D Parulekar
Nithin V
Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani and Urja R Kudalkar
Namrata L Ghanghatkar, Priyanka Makhijani, Urja R Kudalkar
Manikranth Chakravarthula
Priyanka Makhijani
Adwaith Sankar
Namrata L Ghanghatkar
Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella
Preetha Renganarayanan
Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella
Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella
Yesasvi Koganti
Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella
Aishal Hab Yousuf
Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella
Glynnis Winona B
Deb Dutta
Glynnis Winona B
Nithin V
Aishal Hab Yousuf
Glynnis Winona B
Aishal Hab Yousuf
Kirsten Wilfred Coelho
Sreemaya Nair
Kirsten Wilfred Coelho
Santhosh Guru PR
Rakshitha B
Glynnis Winona B
Brighty Ann Sarah
Brighty Ann Sarah
Nithin V
Siddhi Halyur
Aishal Hab Yousuf
Glynnis Winona B
Brighty Ann Sarah
Jenin Raj S
Aishal Hab Yousuf
Nithin V
Brighty Ann Sarah
Akshath Kaimal
Lakshmi Venugopal Menon
Ashik J Bonofer
Haans J Freddy
Brighty Ann Sarah
Mahesh Bhatta
Siddhi Halyur
Aishal Hab Yousuf
Jayasree
Rebecca Ann Oommen
Manik Dhawan
Santhosh Guru PR
Lekshmi MK
Brighty Ann Sarah
Tanvi Thara Harendra Jha
Mahesh Bhatta
Sreemaya Nair
Mahesh Bhatta
Yesasvi Koganti
Global Politics Team
Global Politics Team
Abhimanyu Solanki
Global Politics Team
Global Politics Team
Global Politics Team
Global Politics Team
Global Politics Team
Global Politics Team
Global Politics Team
Brighty Ann Sarah
Yesasvi Koganti
Lekshmi MK
Aparna A Nair
Lekshmi MK
Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi
Lekshmi MK
Global Politics Team
Lekshmi MK
Femy Francis
Yesasvi Koganti
Akshath Kaimal
Preetha Renganarayanan
Lekshmi MK
IPRI Team
Brighty Ann Sarah
Anu Maria Joseph
Lekshmi MK
Preetha Renganarayanan
Brighty Ann Sarah
Preetha Renganarayanan
Brighty Ann Sarah
Brighty Ann Sarah
Lekshmi MK
Brighty Ann Sarah
Lekshmi MK
Akshath Kaimal
Preetha Renganarayanan
Preetha Renganarayanan
Lekshmi MK
Sunidhi Sampige & Tanvi Harendra
Rohini Reenum
Akriti Sharma
Anu Maria Joseph
Brighty Ann Sarah
R Preetha
Akriti Sharma
Brighty Ann Sarah
Akriti Sharma
Rohini Reenum
Brighty Ann Sarah and Preetha R
D Suba Chandran
Neha Tresa George
Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi
Brighty Ann Sarah and R Preetha
Brighty Ann Sarah and R Preetha
Abhimanyu Solanki
Brighty Ann Sarah and R Preetha
Abhiruchi Chowdhury
Vani Vyshnavi Jupudi
Brighty Ann Sarah and R Preetha
Abhiruchi Chowdhury
Naomi Miriam MathewÂ
Rohini Reenum
Brighty Ann Sarah, R Preetha, Santhiya M, Aparna A Nair and M Kejia
Merin Treesa Alex
Kasvi Batra
Emma Rose Boby
Fleur Elizabeth Philip
Merin Treesa Alex
Santhiya M
Farhaz Rashid Ahmed
Gauri Gupta
Brighty Ann Sarah, R Preetha, Santhiya M, Aparna A Nair & M Kejia
Kumari Gargi, Naomi Miriam Matthew, & Fleur Elizabeth PhilipÂ
Santhiya M
Lekshmi MK
R Preetha
Ananya Dinesh
Emma Rose Boby
Merin Treesa Alex
Fleur Elizabeth Philip
Aashish Ganeshan
Abhiruchi Chowdhury
Femy Francis
Gauri Gupta
Padmashree Anandhan
Abhiruchi Chowdhury
R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah
R Preetha
Santhiya M
Brighty Ann Sarah
Vaneeta
Souparno Rakshit, Emma Rose Boby and Souparnika Suresh
Kumari Krishna
C Shraddha
Kumari Krishna
Nupur Priya
C Shraddha, Vaishak Sreekumar, Kumari Krishna, Nova Karun K
Prajwal TV
Kavithasri M
Ayan Datta
Sayeka Ghosh
Karthik Manoharan
Prajwal TV
Mayank Bharti
Ronakk Tijoriwala
Deepika Seervi
Dhriti Mukherjee
Prajwal T V
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
Dhriti Mukherjee
Dhriti Mukherjee
By young scholars of NIAS Course on Global Politics: Contemporary World Order and Theories. Compiled by Sayeka Ghosh.
By the NIAS-IPRI Course scholars on Contemporary Conflicts, Peace Processes, Theories and Thinkers. Compiled by Ayan Datta.
Rohini Reenum
NIAS South Asia Team
NIAS South Asia Team
Devi Chandana M
Sayeka Ghosh
Arya Prasad
Sayeka Ghosh
Diya Madhavan
Ramya B
NIAS South Asia Team
T C A Raghavan
Karthik Manoharan
Rosemary Kurian
Manasa G
D Rohan Kumar
LS Hareesh
Ramya B
NIAS South Asia Team
NIAS South Asia Team
NIAS South Asia Team
NIAS Latin America Team
NIAS South Asia Team
IPRI Team
Femy Francis
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
CEAP Team
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
Amit Gupta
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
IPRI Team
Prof Joyati Bhattacharya
Lakshmi Parimala H
Rashmi BR and Akriti Sharma
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Avishka Ashok
Sourina Bej
Naina Singh
Amit Gupta
Shalini Balaiah
Prakash Panneerselvam
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
STIR Team
Aswathy Koonampilly
Vineeth Daniel Vinoy
Joeana Cera MatthewsÂ
Bhuvan Ningania
Jeshil J Samuel
Lokendra Sharma
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Joeana Cera MatthewsÂ
Anju Joseph
Sarthak Jain
Sourina Bej
Vibha Venugopal
Dincy Adlakha
Udbhav Krishna P
Joeana Cera Matthews
Julia Mathew
Dhanushaa P
SDP Scholars
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
​​​​​​​Rashmi BR
GP Team
V S Ramamurthy and Dinesh K Srivastava
Lokendra Sharma
Harini Madhusudan
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Akriti Sharma
Avishka Ashok
Apoorva Sudhakar
Sukanya Bali
Apoorva Sudhakar
Avishka Ashok
Harini Madhusudan
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sukanya Bali
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
N Manoharan and Drorima Chatterjee
GP Team
D Suba Chandran
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Apoorva Sudhakar
Teshu Singh
Rashmi Ramesh
Aparaajita Pandey
Teiborlang T Kharsyntiew
Sandip Kumar Mishra
Sourina Bej
Harini Madhusudan
Gunjan Singh
Sukanya Bali
Sumedha ChatterjeeÂ
GP Team
Rashmi Ramesh
Harini Madhusudan
Harini Madhusudan
Sukanya Bali
Savithri Sellapperumage
Harini Madhusudan
Rashmi Ramesh
Mallika Devi
Srikumar Pullat
Harini Madhusudan
Lokendra Sharma
Nancy Pathak
Shreya Sinha
Kamna Tiwary
Tamanna Khosla
Vaishali Handique
Sneha Tadkal
Unnikrishnan M J
Rashmi Ramesh
A Padmashree
Oviya A J
Harini Sha P
Chavindi Weerawansha
Arjun C
Lakshmi V Menon
Samreen Wani
Sankalp Gurjar
Harini Madhusudan
Sourina Bej
Harini Madhusudan
Samreen Wani
Mahesh Bhatta
N. Manoharan
Prof PM Soundar Rajan
Harini Sha P
Rashmi Ramesh
Sourina Bej
D. Suba Chandran
Harini Madhusudan
La Toya Waha
Jenice Jean Goveas
Sanduni Atapattu
Chavindi Weerawansha
Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Natasha Fernando
Ruwanthi Jayasekara
N Manoharan
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
Kabi AdhikariÂ
Jenice Jean Goveas
Fatemah Ghafori
Sukanya Bali
Lakshmi V Menon
Rashmi Ramesh
Harini Madhusudan
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
La Toya Waha
Rohej Khatiwada
Rashmi Ramesh
Kabi AdhikariÂ
Malini SethuramanÂ
Aarathi Srinivasan
Roshni Sharma
Rashmi Ramesh
Dhruv Ashok
Prathiksha Ravi
Aswathy K
Padmini Anilkumar
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Lakshmi V Menon
Sourina Bej
Sukanya Bali
Harini Madhusudan
Parikshith Pradeep
Sukanya Bali
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Aashiyana Adhikari
Shailesh Nayak
Lakshmi V Menon
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sukanya Bali
Parikshith Pradeep
Sourina Bej
Rashmi Ramesh
Rashmi Ramesh
Harini Madhusudan
Parikshith Pradeep
GP Team
Harini Madhusudan
D. Suba Chandran
Parikshith Pradeep
Nidhi Dalal
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Sourina Bej
Lakshman Chakravarthy N & Rashmi Ramesh
Sukanya Bali
Lakshman Chakravarthy N
Sukanya Bali
Parikshith Pradeep
Harini Madhusudan
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Mahesh Bhatta
Titsala Sangtam
Lakshmi V Menon
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Harini Madhusudan
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sourina Bej
Mahath Mangal
Titsala Sangtam
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Raakhavee Ramesh
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Mahath Mangal
Mahath Mangal
Titsala Sangtam
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Mahath Mangal
Sourina Bej
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Harini Madhusudan
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Ryan Mitra
Sourina Bej
Lakshmi V Menon
Harini Madhusudan
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Sourina Bej
Harini Madhusudan
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Harini Madhusudan
Lakshmi V Menon
Sourina Bej
Harini Madhusudan
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
D. Suba Chandran
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Mahesh Bhatta
Nasima Khatoon
Harini Madhusudan
Sourina Bej
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Harini Madhusudan
Ryan Mitra
Sourina Bej
Harini Madhusudan
Divyabharathi E
Lakshmi V Menon
Nasima Khatoon
Harini Madhusudhan
Sourina Bej
Ryan Mitra
Hely Desai
Young Scholars Debate
Siddhatti Mehta
Sourina Bej
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Harini Madhusudhan
Druta Bhatt
Divyabharathi E
Apoorva Sudhakar
Divyabharathi E
Oishee Majumdar
D. Suba Chandran
Sourina Bej
Gayan Gowramma KC
Druta Bhatt
Siddhatti Mehta
Miti Shah
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Harini Madhusudan
Apoorva Sudhakar
Hely Desai
Manushi Kapadia
Lakshmi. V. Menon
Divyabharathi E
Miti Shah
Hely Desai
Druta Bhatt
Manushi Kapadia
Miti Shah
Divyabharathi E
Hely Desai
Apoorva Sudhakar
Lakshmi V Menon
Samreen Wani
Divyabharathi E
Ann Maria Shibu
Dhruv Ashok
Lakshmi V Menon
Harini Madhusudan
Jamyang Dolma
Divyabharathi E
Lakshmi V Menon
Jamyang Dolma
Shalini E
Dhruv Ashok
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ann Maria Shibu
Divyabharathi E