PM Modi is likely to land in Uzbekistan this afternoon. (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Uzbekistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit or SCO today, along with leaders from three nations with which India shares a tricky relationship. Here are 10 points in this big story:While Russia has announced a bilateral between PM Modi and President Vladimir Putin, indications are against any structured conversation with China and Pakistan.PM Modi is likely to land in Uzbekistan this afternoon. This would be the first time the leaders will come face to face since the outbreak of Covid.Chinese President Xi Jinping has already arrived in Samarkhand. He was welcomed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.Both Beijing and New Delhi have maintained suspense over whether he will have a sidebar with PM Modi during the meet. Though a bilateral meeting with an agenda seems unlikely, NDTV has learnt a short conversation at the summit is possible.Just two days before the summit, India and China finished disengagement at Ladakh’s Gogra-Hotsprings PP15, raising expectations of a possible meeting between the two leaders.President Putin’s aide has said that India’s UNSC presidency in December will also be a topic of discussion in the critical bilateral with PM Modi. This period will coincide with the G7’s Russian oil price cap kicking in.For India, this is another balancing act in view of Russia’s war with Ukraine, and the US eyes on the meet.With the European Union imposing sanctions on Russia to bring the hostilities under control, many in the international community, including the US, have frowned upon India’s insistence on continuing the deals with Russia, especially on oil.As for Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a pull aside could be a possibility, NDTV has learnt. India wants to express condolences for the loss of lives in the recent floods that ravaged Pakistan.The Beijing-headquartered SCO comprises China, Russia, India, Pakistan and four central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It is the world’s largest regional organisation, covering approximately 60% of the area of Eurasia, 40 per cent of the world population, and more than 30 per cent of global GDP.
Source link
Strange India 