No bilateral meeting likely to be held between Modi-Xi on sidelines of SCO summit

Beijing, Sept 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be visiting Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 15-16, 2022 to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press release, PM Modi will also hold a few bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, will review SCO activities since its inception in 2001, examine the prospects of future cooperation, and discuss topical issues of regional and global importance.

 

However, after the conclusion of Chinese Foreign Ministry press briefing, it seems like that there will no bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of SCO summit.

 

This comes as the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that there is no such information at the moment. When asked Will President Xi meet with Prime Minister Modi, she said, "As for your specific question, I have no information to offer at the moment. We will release information in a timely manner if there is any."

According the Chinese Foreign Ministry press release, "President Xi Jinping will hold talks with Kazakh President Tokayev and Uzbek President Mirziyoyev. They will have in-depth exchanges on bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields and international and regional issues of mutual interest. We’re confident the visits will provide a new blueprint, new goals and new impetus for China’s ties with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan."

The leaders include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, and Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon.

India's participation is significant as it will assume the rotational presidency of the SCO at the end of the Samarkand summit. Delhi will hold the presidency of the grouping for a year until September 2023. So, next year, India will host the SCO summit which will be attended, among others, by leaders of China, Russia, Pakistan.

The grouping, which was formed in 2001, is one of the largest on the planet in terms of geographical size, population, and GDP. Sherzod in the statement said, "The following were at the core of Uzbekistan's chairmanship at SCO: - strengthening of economic ties and trade; promoting industrial and tech. cooperation; furthering broader connectivity; digital transformation and green economy; strengthening the international profile of SCO."

In all, 15 leaders will be attending the mega summit, including eight member countries, three observer countries, and four invited guests. The leaders of the observer countries include Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh. The leaders who have been invited as guests at the summit are Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedow.