QINGDAO (CHINA), June 8 - Top leaders of India, Russia, and China and some of their close allies will converge here tomorrow for the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit which will explore concrete ways to bolster cooperation in the fight against terrorism, extremism and radicalisation besides deliberating on pressing global issues.
In his address at the two-day SCO summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is arriving here tomorrow, is likely to articulate India�s position on dealing with major challenges facing the world, including ways to tackle terrorism and boosting trade and investment in the region.
The summit in this eastern Chinese port city is taking place under the shadow of Washington�s pullout from the Iran nuclear deal, its sanctions regime against Russia and frictions with China over the trade tariffs.
Diplomats from several member countries said all these issues may figure at the summit as well as during deliberations on its sidelines.
In the wake of Washington�s strained ties with both Russia and China, and Iran, officials said the SCO Summit will provide an opportunity for President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to portray a common vision for the region and present the bloc as a powerful voice to deal with pressing global issues.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is also scheduled to attend the summit which will give leaders of India, Russia, China and other central Asian countries a chance to deliberate on the Iran nuclear deal. The US had pulled out of the deal last month, triggering sharp reactions from across the globe.
The SCO leaders are meeting ahead of a much awaited summit next week between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, and the situation in the Korean peninsula may also figure at the meeting here, officials said on condition of anonymity.
India became a full member of the China-dominated grouping last year and New Delhi�s entry into it is expected to increase the bloc�s heft in regional geo-politics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue.
Hours after his arrival in this port city, Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi tomorrow during which the two leaders are expected to explore ways to deepen ties in areas of trade and investment besides reviewing the overall bilateral cooperation. � PTI
