PM Modi to meet Russian President Putin after SCO Summit in Tianjin: MEA

PM Narendra Modi with Vladimir Putin(File Photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Sunday.

During a special briefing in Tianjin, Misri confirmed that the Prime Minister will first address the SCO plenary session before meeting President Putin.

"Tomorrow, the Prime Minister will be addressing the plenary session of the Summit, where he will outline India's approach to fostering regional cooperation under the SCO umbrella. After this engagement, he is scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, following which he will depart for India," Misri said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO leaders' summit. This was their first meeting after the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, in 2024.

PM Modi later joined the official reception of the summit, hosted by President Xi at the Tianjin Meijiang International Convention and Exhibition Center. He was greeted warmly by Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, before joining other world leaders for a group photograph symbolising regional unity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also attended the official reception along with senior members of his delegation, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Chief of Staff Maxim Oreshkin, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov and Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian news agency TASS.

Further, PM Modi invited Xi Jinping to the BRICS Summit that India will host in 2026, the external affairs ministry said. President Xi thanked PM Modi for the invitation and offered China's support to India's BRICS Presidency.Russia is also a part of BRICS nations.

India is preparing to take over the leadership of BRICS from Brazil, the current president.PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with the acting President and military chief of Myanmar, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin.

PM Modi noted that India attaches importance to its ties with Myanmar as part of its 'Neighbourhood First', 'Act East', and Indo-Pacific policies. The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and discussed the way forward on several aspects of bilateral cooperation, including development partnerships, defence and security, border management, and border trade issues, the MEA stated.