PM Modi wraps SCO Summit, holds 50-min limousine tete-a-tete with President Putin

Shanghai, September 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, wrapped up a “productive” visit to China, where he attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and held bilateral talks with several world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Posting on social media, Modi said Modi emphasised India’s stance on “key global issues” during the visit.

A standout moment of the trip came when Modi was offered a lift by President Putin in his AURUS limousine to reach the venue of their bilateral talks.

According to Russian media, the two leaders continued their one-on-one discussion during the ride and did not leave the vehicle upon reaching the hotel, carrying on the conversation for around 50 minutes.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the meeting lasted about an hour. Modi shared a photo on social media showing the two leaders inside the limousine, calling their conversations “always insightful”.

Commentators in Moscow suggested that this may have been the most confidential conversation between the two leaders during the summit, likely covering sensitive issues “not for the ears of others”.

During their bilateral talks, Modi conveyed India’s call for an early resolution to the Ukraine conflict.

“The call of humanity is to end the conflict as soon as possible and find ways to bring permanent peace to the region,” he said.

He also reaffirmed India’s invitation to Putin, who is scheduled to visit India in December for summit talks.

The discussions also covered bilateral cooperation across economic, financial, and energy sectors, with both leaders expressing satisfaction over the sustained growth in ties.

“We welcome all recent efforts to bring peace to Ukraine and hope that all relevant sides will move forward constructively,” Modi said in his televised opening remarks.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that Modi and Putin discussed regional and global issues, including developments concerning Ukraine.

Modi reiterated support for recent initiatives addressing the conflict and emphasised the need to expedite a cessation and find a durable peace settlement. The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia.

Modi also said that India is waiting to receive the Russian leader. Putin is set to travel to India in December for summit talks with Modi.

PTI