Sushma Swaraj meets Xi ahead of summit

Beijing: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said China regards boosting the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as one of its diplomatic priorities.

Ms Swaraj called on President Xi along with the rest of the seven foreign ministers of the SCO.

“China regards boosting the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as one of its diplomatic priorities,” Mr Xi said during his meeting with SCO foreign ministers as well as with SCO secretary-general, and the director of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure Executive Committee.

Mr Xi said he believes the upcoming SCO summit in the coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong Province, in June will be a success, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the Qingdao Summit.

Ms Swaraj’s meeting with the Chinese President comes a day after the two countries announced a summit meeting between Xi and Prime Minister Modi at Wuhan this week.

The SCO Foreign Ministers will meet here on Tuesday to finalise the agenda for the summit of the eight-member political, economic and security bloc.

Ms Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday announced that Mr Modi and Mr Xi will meet in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on April 27-28 to improve bilateral relations.

The SCO, headquartered in Beijing, was founded in 2001.

It comprises China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, India and Pakistan.