Wuhan consensus between Modi and Xi to be reflected in SCO summit: Indian envoy

The consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan would be reflected at the Qingdao summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, India's envoy to China Gautam Bambawale has said on the eve of the meeting tomorrow.

Modi would attend the two-day summit of the eight-member SCO in the estern Chinese city of Qingdao.

This is the first summit of the organisation after the admission of India and Pakistan as full members last year.

During his stay in Qingdao, Modi will also hold several bilateral meetings with the leaders of the SCO member countries including Xi.

"The focus on of SCO members is in the areas of security cooperation, countering terrorism, economic development as well as cultural exchange," Bambawale told state-run China Daily and China Global Television Network (CGTN).

"We will continue to expand our cooperation in these areas. India will work with the other member countries in this direction," he said.

The SCO members include China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

He said that India would take part in the SCO enthusiastically. Bambawale highlighted the consensus reached between Modi and Xi at their informal summit at the Chinese city of Wuhan in April and said it would be reflected at the Qingdao summit.

He said the two leaders reached consensus in two areas.

The first was that India and China are partners in progress and development.

"Second there are many more commonalties between India and China, many more areas where we cooperate with each other than where we differ with each other," he said.

"Obviously, between any two countries, including India and China, there are some areas which we do not see eye to eye, where we have our own opinions. But the two leaders decided to work on the areas where we have common approaches. We will see that in Qingdao summit," he said.

On India-China security cooperation in view of their differences on the border, he said, "India and China must work together in the security area too".

"We might have our differences in terms of where our border lies. We don't have a final resolution of India-China border. But I think it is very important for India and China to ensure that peace and tranquillity is maintained in the India, China border areas," Bambawale said.

"If we are able to achieve this, we should not have any doubts about our wisdom and our abilities, especially of our leaders to achieve this objective and this goal," he said.

"...If we are able to achieve this, then we will have an impact on security, not only within this region, the Indo-Pacific or the Asia Pacific region but it will have impact across the world," he said.

On India's participation in the SCO, he said, "We have been a very enthusiastic member of the SCO. We have participated in all the meetings of the SCO. We are looking forward to much close cooperation between India and other member countries in the SCO."