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A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been scheduled on the sidelines of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.
MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George confirmed the planned meeting during a special briefing on the Prime Minister's upcoming four-day visit while responding to a question on whether PM Modi was likely to meet Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. "We are working on a few bilateral meetings depending on the availability of time and convenience; the meetings will be held, and as and when the meetings are scheduled, it will be conveyed to you. A meeting is scheduled between both the leaders of India and Russia on the sidelines of the summit," George said. He added that the two leaders are expected to review the broader India-Russia bilateral relationship during their meeting. "We have had a very successful IRIGC (India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission) recently held in Moscow. Both sides are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral relationships during the meeting between the leaders at the sidelines of the SCO in Bishkek," the MEA Secretary added. The scheduled meeting comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Putin at the Kremlin during his two-day official visit to Russia and conveyed PM Modi's "good wishes" to the Russian President. During the meeting, Jaishankar briefed Putin on the outcome of the IRIGC meeting held in Moscow and highlighted the continued growth in bilateral economic cooperation. Jaishankar also conveyed PM Modi's plans for upcoming high-level engagements with Putin. "Prime Minister Modi looks forward to meeting you at the SCO Summit, then welcoming you to India for the BRICS Summit, and, in due course, as per your mutual convenience, having the annual summit, so we have a very strong picture of cooperation to present," Jaishankar told Putin. Putin, in turn, asked Jaishankar to convey his best wishes to Modi and expressed hope of meeting the Prime Minister at the SCO Summit. "And at the beginning of our conversation, I would like to ask you to convey my best wishes to Modi. I hope to see him soon, as we planned, within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation very soon. Our schedule is such that we will probably be able to meet again this year," Putin said. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Uzbekistan from August 29-30 at the invitation of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, followed by a visit to Bishkek from August 31 to September 1 to participate in the 26th SCO Summit. The Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with SCO leaders on the sidelines of the summit, with the MEA saying details of other meetings would be conveyed as and when they are finalised. (ANI)
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