In PM Modi’s Samarkand sked, meetings with Russia, Uzbekistan and Iran likely

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet privately with the presidents of Uzbekistan, Russia, and Iran during the SCO Summit in Samarkand from September 15 to 16.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office has ruled out a meeting between Modi and Jinping, and neither India nor China has announced one.

When it was reported that Modi will travel to Uzbekistan for the first SCO meeting since the Covid-19 outbreak, the external affairs ministry said he would “conduct a few bilateral talks” in Samarkand. A meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was first, according to sources.

Putin will discuss UN and G20 collaboration with Modi at the SCO Summit, presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov said.

Modi will discuss the global agenda. The parties will discuss strategic stability, the Asia-Pacific region, and multilateral partnership, Ushakov told Tass.

Ushakov noted that India will lead the SCO, G20, and UN Security Council in 2023. The Kremlin said Putin and Modi will discuss commerce, the sale of Russian fertilisers, and bilateral food supply.

Ebrahim Raisi will meet Modi, Putin, Xi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan in Samarkand, media reports say.

According to sources with knowledge of the issue, the Iranian side will likely bring up restarting India’s oil imports. Tehran has raised the issue with New Delhi numerous times in recent months, especially after India expanded its cheap oil purchases from Russia after the Ukraine conflict.

Iran was one of India’s top three energy suppliers until May 2019, when US sanctions halted purchases. Iranian authorities told Indian diplomats they faced “unilateral and unlawful” sanctions when they bowed.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry official told Dawn that no talks with the Indian prime minister are planned in Samarkand. Sharif and Modi may have a “brief courtesy interaction,” but they won’t hold conversations, according to an unidentified official.

Neither country has issued a statement. India and China’s decision last week to withdraw soldiers from PP-15 near Hot Springs fuelled rumours of a first face-to-face meeting between Modi and Xi in three years.

Xi and Modi last met in November 2019 at the BRICs Summit in Brasilia (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa).