Modi, Xi Jinping and Putin hold talks at summit venue; picture comes out

BEIJING: An unusual conversation took place just before the photoshoot of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. A picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi talking with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin has now come out. Modi arrived at the venue of the summit along with Putin.

During the summit the other day, Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping had a meeting where both countries agreed to stand together with mutual trust. Both leaders affirmed that India and China are not enemies, but partners.

Both countries are attempting to strengthen their economies despite the sanctions imposed by the United States on their products for importing oil from Russia. The leaders stressed the need to stand together for this purpose. They also agreed that differences of opinion should not turn into conflicts and that India-China relations should remain long-lasting.

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri were also present at the meeting held in Tianjin, China. The meeting, which began at 9.30 AM India time, was scheduled for 40 minutes but continued for an hour.