No word on Modi-Xi meet at SCO, but Kremlin confirms a bi-lateral with Putin

New Delhi, Sep 14: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit heads of state to be held on September 15 and 16 at Samarkand, Uzbekistan will be closely watched in response to the emerging world order.

While the Kremlin has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin would meet with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, there is however no meeting on a bi-lateral with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

PM Modi and President Putin would meet and discuss trade, sales of Russian fertilisers and food supplies according to a Reuters report.

There has been intense speculation that PM Modi could meet with President Jinping in the event of disengagement by the armies of both countries at PP-15 at Gogra Hot Springs. If this would to take place this would be the first face-to-face bilateral between the two leaders in nearly three years.

However both countries have not officially announced anything as yet.

The two leaders would however be in the same room for at least two sessions at the summit. The External Affairs Ministry has said that the PM is likely to hold a few bilateral meetings during the summit. However no further details were provided. The PM is expected to meet with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

The leaders of the SCO countries are likely to review the activities of the organisation over the past two decades. They would also discuss prospects of multilateral cooperation in future. The fallout on the global economy in the wake of the Ukraine conflict will also come up for discussion.