Always a delight: PM Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin share a warm hug during SCO Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted each other with a warm hug before walking for a family photo of the SCO members in Tianjin on Monday.

Modi in a post on X shared pictures with the Russian leader, saying it is "always a delight to meet him". The prime minister will be holding a bilateral meet with him later in the day. with whom he will be holding bilateral talks later today after the plenary session.



"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," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Sunday.

On Sunday, Modi held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, during which both leaders welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their last meeting in Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in October 2024.

The two leaders reaffirmed that the countries were "development partners and not rivals" and that their differences should not turn into disputes and called for a stable relationship and cooperation between India and China based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, necessary for the growth and development of the two countries, as well as for a multipolar world and a multipolar Asia befitting the trends of the 21st century.

Modi further underlined the importance of peace and tranquility in the border areas for the continued development of bilateral relations.

The SCO comprises 10 members. In addition to India, it includes Belarus, China, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

There are also several dialogue partners and observers. India has been a member of the SCO since 2017, having been an observer since 2005.

During its membership period, India has held the chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and of the SCO Council of Heads of State from 2022 to 2023.