SCO summit: Putin invites Modi to be main guest at Eastern Economic Forum

Bishkek, June 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met Russian President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.

PM Modi is in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek to attend the meeting of Council of Heads of State (CHS) of SCO from June 13 to 14. India would also hold a meeting with host nation Kyrgyzstan on June 14.

PM Modi reportedly expressed gratefulness to the Russian President for help for the rifle manufacturing unit in Amethi.

"President Putin has invited the PM to be the main guest at Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia in early September, and PM Modi has accepted the invitation," said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale.

"There was no discussion on any international or regional issue as the focus was entirely on how to make Prime Minister's visit for the next annual summit successful," he added.

During the delegation level talks, President Putin expressed hope that India-Russia ties would get stronger under PM Modi's second term.

"In course of past years, we have done a great deal to promote our interstate relations. They developed steadily, including through your personal efforts&attention to development of Russian-Indian relations," reports quoted Putin as saying.

"You have been decorated with highest state award of Russia, Order of St Andrew the Apostle. I would like to congratulate you and express my hope that after your re-election, our work on promoting bilateral contacts and relations for benefit of people of India and Russia will continue," he added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the multilateral SCO summit in Bishkek.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will also be attending the summit. This will be the first time two leaders will come face to face after months of tensions between the two countries, which began with February 14 Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy in which at least 40 jawans were killed. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by Pakistan-based terror outfit -- Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).