Together for the Region, says India as PM Modi, Putin, Xi, Sharif share stage

Narendra Modi on Friday joined the leaders of the SCO for discussions on topical, regional and international issues, including regional peace and security, trade and connectivity, culture and tourism

Samarkand, Sep 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday joined the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) for discussions on topical, regional and international issues, including regional peace and security, trade and connectivity, culture and tourism.

Ahead of the deliberations at the restricted format of the summit, leaders of the permanent members of the grouping posed for a group photo at Samarkand's Congress Centre.

"Together for the region!," tweeted External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi sharing the details about the SCO summit.

It is for the first time Modi and Xi came face-to-face at the summit in this historic Uzbek city since the start of the border standoff between India and China in eastern Ladakh around 28 months back. However, there is no clarity yet on whether there will be a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the summit.

The summit is also being attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and leaders of several central Asian countries. The summit of the eight-nation influential grouping is taking place amid the growing geo-political turmoil largely triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and China's aggressive military posturing in the Taiwan Strait.

Ahead of the deliberations at the restricted format of the summit, leaders of the permanent members of the grouping posed for a group photo at Samarkand's Congress Centre.

After the summit, Prime Minister Modi will have separate bilateral meetings with Russian President Putin, Uzbek President Mirziyoyev and Iranian President Raisi. Modi arrived here on Thursday night on an around 24-hour visit.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations.

India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.