Looking forward to the expansion of SCO, says PM Modi as he lands in Uzbekistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Samarkand International Airport on Thursday to attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister, in a press release, said, “I look forward to exchanging views on topical, regional and international issues, the expansion of SCO and on further deepening of multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation.”

“Under the Uzbek chairship, a number of decisions for mutual cooperation are likely to be adopted in areas of trade, economy, culture and tourism,” he said.

At the airport, PM Modi was received by Abdulla Aripov, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. Several ministers, the governor of the Samarkand region, and other senior officials from the government of Uzbekistan welcomed PM Modi at the airport, a statement released by PMO said.

PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were two SCO leaders who skipped the informal dinner on Thursday.

SCO SUMMIT 2022:

The summit will begin on Friday with a welcome ceremony of heads of SCO member states followed by a group photo.

The session will begin with a restricted 1+1 format meeting among leaders ( leader + interpreter). Then there would be a joint photo session followed by the ‘extended format SCO meeting (1+5)’ which is a delegation-level talk.

The Samarkand Declaration will be signed by the leaders and then Prime Minister Modi will attend the official banquet hosted by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Bilateral engagements of Prime Minister Modi are to take place after the summit concludes. The meetings that have been firmed up are with Russian President Vladimir Putin at 3:40 pm (4:10 pm IST) at Samarkand Regency Hotel, with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at 5 pm (5:30 pm IST) at the Congress Centre, and with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at 5 pm (5:30 pm IST) at the Congress Centre.

He will then visit the mausoleum of Islam Karimov, the first President of Uzbekistan, and pay floral tributes. After his bilateral engagements, Prime Minister Modi will return to India.

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