Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday shared photographs of his interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, just before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit plenary session.
“Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit,” PM Modi wrote on X, posting images of his meetings.
His camaraderie with President Putin stood out, as the two leaders exchanged smiles and embraced warmly. Modi later posted another picture of their greeting, captioning it: “Always a delight to meet President Putin!”
In another striking moment, Putin and Modi were seen walking hand in hand towards President Xi, after which all three leaders exchanged light remarks before joining other SCO members for the customary family photograph.
The friendly exchanges came ahead of Modi’s scheduled bilateral meeting with Putin following the plenary. “The Prime Minister will address the plenary session to outline India’s approach to strengthening regional cooperation under the SCO framework. Afterwards, he will hold bilateral talks with President Putin before returning to India,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed.
On Sunday, Modi also held bilateral discussions with Xi Jinping. Both leaders welcomed the positive momentum in ties since their last meeting at the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024, reaffirming that India and China are development partners, not rivals. They stressed that differences must not escalate into disputes and emphasized the importance of peace along the border for bilateral progress.
The leaders agreed that cooperation based on mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity is essential not only for India-China ties but also for advancing a multipolar Asia and a multipolar world.
