SCO Summit: Suspense over Modi-Jinping meet in Uzbekistan

New Delhi, Sep 15: As the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) begins today, all eyes would be on a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

While bilateral talks between PM Modi and President Vladimir Putin has been scheduled, there is still no confirmation about a possible meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

During a press conference, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra remained non-committal on the possibility of bilateral meetings with leaders of China and Pakistan with PM Modi.

To a barrage of questions on whether there will be a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Kwatra did not give a direct reply.

"We will keep you apprised when the schedule of Modi's bilateral meetings unfolds," he said.

The Chinese foreign ministry said that it had no information to share on such a meeting at the SCO where India prepares to take over the presidency in 2023.

In his departure statement ahead of Uzbekistan visit, PM Modi also hinted at holding bilateral meetings with some of the 'other leaders' attending the Summit.

"I also look forward to meeting President Mirziyoyev in Samarkand. I fondly recall his visit to India in 2018. He also graced the Vibrant Gujarat Summit as its Guest of Honour in 2019. In addition, I will hold bilateral meetings with some of the other Leaders attending the Summit," PM Modi said in his departure statement ahead of his visit to Uzbekistan.

The meeting is significant as it comes days after India and China announced that their respective armies would be disengaging at the Gogra Hot Springs PP-15 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

The other areas where the stand-off continues are at Demchok and the Depsang areas.