Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at SCO Summit on Friday. It has been speculated that trade and geopolitics are likely to find place in their discussion during the bilateral meeting in Samarkand.
"Russian President Putin is going to participate in the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. PM Modi is also going. We've already announced that there will be a number of meetings in Samarkand, including with PM Modi," said Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov, as per media reports
Previously, quoting Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, the official Russian news agency TASS also stated, "A conversation on the international agenda with Modi will also take place, the sides will discuss issues of strategic stability, the situation in the Asia Pacific Region, and, of course, cooperation within major multilateral formats, such as the UN, the G20 and the SCO.
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"This is particularly important, because India will preside in the UN Security Council in December, and, in 2023, India will lead the SCO and will also chair the G20," Mr Ushakov told reporters.
PM Modi on Thursday arrived in Uzbekistan's historic city of Samarkand on Thursday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is set to deliberate on regional security challenges, boosting trade and energy supplies among other issues."Landed in Samarkand to take part in the SCO Summit," Modi tweeted.
PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, including with Putin, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev among other leaders.
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"At the SCO Summit, I look forward to exchanging views on topical, regional and international issues, the expansion of SCO and further deepening of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation within the Organisation," Modi said in a pre-departure statement.
"Under the Uzbek chairship, a number of decisions for mutual cooperation are likely to be adopted in areas of trade, economy, culture and tourism," he said.
All about the SCO Summit
The SCO is holding its first in-person summit in Samarkand in Uzbekistan after two years. The summit will also see the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The summit of the eight-nation influential grouping is taking place amid the growing geo-political turmoil largely triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and China's aggressive military posturing in the Taiwan Strait.
According to reports in Russian and Iranian media, Modi will hold separate bilateral meetings with Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The SCO summit in Samarkand will have two sessions -- one restricted session which is only meant for the SCO member states and then there will be an extended session that is likely to see the participation of the observers and the special invitees of the chair country.
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Launched in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO has eight full members, including its six founding members, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined as full members in 2017.
(With PTI Inputs)
