SCO Summit 2022: PM Modi meets Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarkand

Samarkand, Sep 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, which kickstarted today.

PM Modi arrived in Uzbekistan's historic city of Samarkand to be part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on Thursday.

The SCO summit is set to deliberate on regional security challenges, boosting trade and energy supplies among other issues.

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.

The SCO is holding its first in-person summit in Samarkand in Uzbekistan after two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which prevented such high-level gatherings. PM Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, including with President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Raisi.

"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," PM 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. PM Modi said he was also looking forward to meeting Uzbek President Mirziyoyev.

"I fondly recall his visit to India in 2018. He also graced the Vibrant Gujarat Summit as Guest of Honour in 2019. In addition, I will hold bilateral meetings with some of the other leaders attending the summit," PM Modi said.

There is no confirmation over his possible bilateral with Chinese President Xi and Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif, amidst a chill in the bilateral ties with both countries.