Xi Jinping to visit India; Vladimir Putin invites PM to business meet

New Delhi/Bishkek: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told Chinese President Xi Jinping that Pakistan “needs to create an atmosphere free of (cross-border) terrorism” before New Delhi can hold bilateral talks with Islamabad on various issues, adding that Pakistan has so far failed to do so.

Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said Mr Modi informed President Xi that Pakistan needed to create an atmosphere free of terrorism. “At this stage we did not see this as happening.”

“We expect Pakistan to take concrete action in the areas of concern that we have flagged,” Mr Gokhale quoted Mr Modi as having said at the bilateral.

Both Mr Modi and Pakistan PM Imran Khan are expected to be seated along with other leaders in the same room at the summit on Friday. Though India has made it clear that there would be no separate bilateral meeting between the two leaders, it remains to be seen whether there is at least an exchange of pleasantries or even a handshake between the two on Friday. New Delhi’s stand continues to be frosty in view of Pakistan’s continued support towards cross-border terrorism.

At the over 20-minute bilateral with Mr Xi, Mr Modi said “strategic communication” between India and China have “improved” at all levels and pointed to China’s recent decision to lift its earlier objections to listing by the UN of Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

It was also confirmed that President Xi would visit India later this year for the second informal summit after the first such meeting at Wuhan in China. Mr Gokhale told reporters that the date and venue had not been finalised.

Talking about the bilateral, Mr Gokhale said, “The atmosphere was very positive. The Wuhan Spirit was very much in evidence. ... There was also a brief discussion on the (Sino-Indian) boundary issue. The two leaders have asked the Special Representatives to meet and carry forward the discussion.”

Mr Modi also held a separate bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin who invited him to be the main guest at the Eastern Economic Forum at Vladivostok in early September, which he “warmly accepted”.

This will also be followed by the India-Russia annual bilateral summit. Discussions also took place between Mr Modi and President Putin on defence-related issues.

India “thanked” Russia for the project to manufacture the AK-203 Kalashnikov rifles in Amethi (UP), a project which was “set up in record time”.

Mr Gokhale said there would be more such occasions where Russian technology and manufacturing would be moved to India. While the S-400 missile deal with Russia was apparently not discussed specifically, New Delhi is certain to go ahead with it despite objections from the US.