SCO summit: Security is our top priority, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the welcome ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China's Qingdao.

Modi arrived in Qingdao on Saturday to attend the two-day SCO summit. The Prime Minister and Jinping on Saturday held "very substantive" talks during which they agreed to hold the next informal summit in India next year besides resolving to continue efforts to ensure peace and tranquility along the border.

Whiile, addressing the plenary session of SCO summit, Modi said,''Afghanistan is an unfortunate example of effect of terrorism. I hope the brave steps towards peace taken by President Ghani will be respected by all in the region.''

Security is our top priority, Modi said and floated an over-arching concept of security that the SCO could follow, calling it SECURE - S for security for citizens, E for economic development, C for connectivity in the region, U for unity, R for respect of sovereignty, E for environment protection.

''Only 6% of foreign tourists in India are from SCO countries, this can easily be doubled. Increasing awareness of our shared cultures can help boost this number.We will organize a SCO food festival and a Buddhist festival in India,'' PM Modi said at SCO Summit in China's Qingdao.

It is Modi's second visit to China in little over five weeks. He was in the Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27 and 28 to attend an informal summit with Jinping.