Consider India’s application on its merit: PM Modi to Xi Jinping

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tashkent to consider India’s bid for the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group on its merit. The prime minister asked Xi to join the emerging consensus in Seoul.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The meeting with Xi was Modi’s maiden engagement after landing in Tashkent as diplomats held simultaneous brainstorming session in Seoul on India’s application for NSG membership. India wants China not to club New Delhi with Islamabad, which has also applied for the NSG membership.

"Prime Minister Modi spoke of the NSG Plenary Meeting in Seoul which is to discuss India’s membership of the NSG. The rest of the meeting was devoted to this issue. PM Modi urged China to make a fair and objective assessment of India’s application and judge it on its own merit. He said China should contribute to the emerging consensus in Seoul," MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said in a statement after Xi-Modi meet.

Xi’s reply to Modi, or bargain (if any) between the two sides, is still unknown. Modi is scheduled to visit China early September for G-20 meet and Xi is scheduled to travel to Goa in October for the BRICS Summit.

Meanwhile, Xi Jinping welcomed India’s accession to SCO and Modi thanked Chinese president for Beijing’s support. The meeting lasted for close to 50 minutes.