SCO Summit: Bilateral with Putin, plenary address - PM Modi's agenda on Day 2

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday evening for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, marking his first visit to China in over seven years. He arrived at Binhai International Airport after concluding a two-day visit to Japan.PM Modi on Sunday attended the official reception for heads of state and government at the SCO Summit in Tianjin. He was welcomed at the venue by Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan.After exchanging greetings with Xi, PM Modi joined Russian President Vladimir Putin and other leaders for the customary family photo.During the reception, he also interacted with several world leaders before attending a banquet hosted by Xi and the First Lady for international guests, according to Xinhua.On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi held talks with Xi Jinping, where both leaders reaffirmed that India and China are "development partners, not rivals", and highlighted that the differences should not turn into disputes, the ministry of external affairs said.They also discussed the need to "develop a political and strategic direction to expand bilateral trade and investment ties and reduce the trade deficit."

PM Modi further expressed support for China’s SCO Presidency and invited President Xi to the BRICS Summit that India will host in 2026, an invitation Xi accepted with assurance of support.

PM Modi's agenda on Day 2

PM Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Putin on September 1. "Tomorrow, the Prime Minister 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 during a press briefing.Putin, meanwhile, will also meet Turkish President Erdogan and Iranian President Pezeshkian to discuss the Ukraine conflict and nuclear issues, as per reports.The two-day SCO Summit in Tianjin brings together leaders from more than 20 nations, including the 10 full members: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India, a member since 2017, sees this summit as significant, especially as it comes amid rising trade tensions following the US decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% duty on Russian crude importst.