PM Modi described his latest China visit as a new beginning for India. (Photo/ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Qingdao, China on Saturday to attend the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. During his visit, PM Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is PM Modi's second China tour within a month.
Describing his latest China visit as a new beginning for India, PM Modi said he was excited to lead the Indian delegation for their first-ever meeting of the Council as a full member.
"The SCO has a rich agenda for cooperation, ranging from fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism to promoting cooperation in connectivity, commerce, customs, law, health and agriculture; protecting the environment and mitigating disaster risk, and fostering people-to-people relations," Prime Minister Modi said in a Facebook post before emplning for the the neighbouring country for the two-day tour.
On 9th and 10th June, I will be in Qingdao, China to take part in the annual SCO Summit. This will be India’s first SCO Summit as a full member. Will be interacting with leaders of SCO nations and discussing a wide range of subjects with them. https://t.co/7mwQLaHGkS
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 8, 2018
This will be India's first participation in the summit as a full-time member of the organisation. India, along with Pakistan, became the full-time member during Astana summit in June 2017.
The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation that focuses on strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states and promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology and culture, and making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region.
Watch: PM Modi on 2-day China visit; will meet Xi Jinping on the sidelines of SCO
(With inputs from agencies)