Plans afoot for Modi, Xi meet at SCO, to set stage for India visit

New Delhi: PM Narendra Modi is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit early next week, ahead of Xi's visit to India for the BRICS Summit on September 12-13.

The Bishkek meet will help prepare for the Modi-Xi meet in New Delhi that could steadily rebuild economic partnership. The meeting here will be substantive and may result in concrete outcomes, according to a person familiar with the Sino-India ties.

At the SCO Summit on Monday, the PM will highlight the need for stronger measures to combat international terror and push for inclusive connectivity initiatives in Eurasia.


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Advancing financial mechanisms, including the proposed SCO Development Bank and Investment Fund, will also be on the summit agenda.

India's focus at SCO over the years has been on strengthening mechanisms to counter cross-border terror and dismantling terror infrastructure in the Eurasian and Af-Pak region. Central Asian states have been worried over the growing network of cross-border extremists in Eurasia. SCO is the only regional organisation that has a dedicated body - RATS - on counter-terrorism.

On the sideline of the SCO Summit, Modi is also expected to meet several Eurasian leaders. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus will attend the BRICS Summit.