SCO summit 2018 LIVE updates: New people-to-people mechanism on cards

Modi and Xi are expected to explore ways to deepen ties in areas of trade and investment, besides reviewing overall India-China bilateral cooperation. Catch all the live updates here

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Read: SCO Summit: Security, terrorism and drug control focal points of agenda

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had detailed discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on bilateral and global issues which will add further vigour to the India-China friendship after their informal summit in Wuhan.

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India and China signed two bilateral agreements here on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. First MoU was regarding Brahmaputra River and the other one on the export of rice from India to China. China's Ministry of Water Resources and India's Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and, Ganga Rejuvenation signed the MoU under which China would provide hydrological information to India regarding the Brahmaputra River during the flood season.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India looks forward to enriching the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation with its active participation and working closely with other members of the bloc, as he met the Secretary-General of the grouping Rashid Alimov.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. "The two leaders exchanged views on a range of topics to further strengthen our strategic partnership," Indian External Affairs Minister Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

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The International Day of Yoga will be celebrated at SCO Headquarters in Beijing on June 16.

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Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said there were multiple objectives of India's participation such as "common development, connectivity, strengthening relationship with Central Asian countries, and terrorism -- how do we use this platform to fight terrorism and the scourge of terrorism in today's world".

 

"It is important for us to ensure peace and security in the SCO region and fight against the growing threat of terrorism," he said.

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Talking about the objective of the summit, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said it was to further deepen the existing relationship between the SCO member countries. "They have identified four areas -- politics, security, economic and cultural cooperation. There is something called Shanghai spirit which needs to be strengthened, which talks about mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultations, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development," he said, elaborating on the areas the member nations were likely to focus during the summit. 

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India's entry into the SCO as a member, alongside Pakistan, would bring in new elements of regional dynamics. While it is an open secret that India’s entry will act as a natural balancer to regional equilibrium, it is also true that such an act throws open significant strategic challenges before India. 

Read: Sana Hashmi's piece for Business Standard on whether Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can accommodate Indian interests  

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In Qingdao, Rouhani and Putin discuss US exit from nuclear deal

 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says he would like to discuss the situation following the US withdrawal from the Iranian deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Read more here) 

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Modi is expected to hold nearly half a dozen bilateral meetings with leaders of other SCO countries. However, there is no official word on whether there will be any interaction between Modi and Pakistan President Hussain, who is scheduled to attend the meeting in China.  

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In his address at the SCO summit, Modi is likely to articulate India's position on dealing with major challenges facing the world, including ways to tackle terrorism and boosting trade and investment in the region.

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Besides Modi, other leaders attending the summit in this picturesque coastal city of China's Shandong province include President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain. 

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Diplomats said the summit is also likely to explore ways to deepen cooperation among the SCO member countries in dealing with threats of terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation besides delving into issues relating to trade, investment, and connectivity.

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It is Modi's second visit to China in little over five weeks. He was in the Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27 and 28 to attend an informal summit with President Xi Jinping. 

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Modi reaches Qingdao

PM Modi arrived in Qingdao, China, on Saturday on a two-day visit primarily to attend the annual summit of SCO, which is likely to deliberate on several pressing global issues, including the future of the Iran nuclear deal, the impact of US sanctions on Russia, and the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.  

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India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. 

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About the SCO summit, officials said India will pitch for evolving effective ways to deal with the growing challenge of terrorism and enhancing security cooperation among SCO countries.