SCO Summit, Astana, LIVE:PM Modi meets Xi Jinping, likely to discuss China’s opposition to India’s NSG bid, Pak corridor issues

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Kazakhstan capital Asthana, will address the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO summit on Friday. SCO is a consortium of select Asian nations that focuses on security and trade.
Astana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Kazakhstan capital Asthana, will address the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation or SCO summit on Friday. SCO is a consortium of select Asian nations that focuses on security and trade.
– PM Narendra Modi meets President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Astana.
-News agency ANI posts a video of PM Modi’s interaction with the Chinese delegation.
-MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweets pictures of PM Modi’s meeting with Chinese President.
-Got the opportunity to meet you again during SCO summit, grateful to you for your efforts and support for India’s SCO membership: PM Modi
-Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping in Astana.
-PM Modi is supposed to meet dignitaries, attend a host of events today, here’s his schedule for today:  9:30 am meet with Chinese President Xi Jingping of China. 10:10 am meeting with President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev. 12:50 pm welcome ceremony and group photo at Summit Venue. 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm extended format meeting and signing of documents. 7:00 pm – 10:45 pm official inauguration of Astana Expo, joint visit of HODs to central exhibition pavilion. 11:05 pm boarding of aircraft for Delhi.
-Initially, the members were Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, China and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan was inducted in 2001.
-India had been a long-time observer of the group, which was formed in 1996.
-While Pakistan is becoming a member of the SCO, India has been pushing for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations and for terrorism to be formally defined.
-The eight nations will also work together to control terrorism in the Eurasia region.
-Becoming a full member of the SCO will help India establish better trade and economic ties with member countries. It will also strengthen India’s strategic position in Central Asia.
-The resource-rich grouping of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation collaborates on trade, economy, connectivity, energy, transport and banking.
-After SCO membership, both India and Pakistan are expected to follow Tashkent-based Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure and join the other member nations to conduct joint military exercise.
-Ahead of the visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a Facebook post: At this meeting, on completion of the process, India will become a full Member of the SCO upon which SCO will represent over 40 per cent of humanity and nearly 20 per cent of global GDP.”
-PM Modi is also expected to seek support for designating JEM chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist in the United Nations.
-Modi, Xi are also expected to discuss the fallout of President Donald Trump’s announcement to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, something that experts believe leaves scope for India and China to take a leadership role.
-Among other issues, China’s opposition to India’s NSG membership, renaming of 6 locations in Arunachal Pradesh and the “artificial controversy” created by Beijing over Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh will also be discussed.
-During his meeting with President Xi, PM Modi is expected to discuss steps to ease the strain the ties between two nations have come lately over issues such as the One Belt, One Road or OBOR project that India had skipped.
-Later in the day, India and Pakistan will also be formally inducted into the SCO as members.
-This will be the first meeting of the two leaders to build on common interests in eight months.
-PM Modi will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Astana today.
-PM Modi had earlier greeted his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and exchanged pleasantries when they met at a cultural gala.
-PM Modi will address the SCO summit today.