PM Modi meets Uzbekistan President, discusses expansion of ties

Astana [Kazakhstan], June 9 (ANI): On his second and final day of his visit to Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit here on Friday. Stressing about the need to deepen cooperation between India and Uzbekistan, Modi said "India and Uzbekistan has foundations in the historical contacts and cultural links and there is a lot of scope for enhancing ties between both the countries. We will work together to take our bilateral ties to next level that includes political, economic, trade, transportation, military exchanges technological ties. " Modi congratulated President Mirziyoyev for winning the December 2016 presidential election. Mentioning about his previous meeting with the President, Modi said,"I still remember our meeting in Tashkent which was very fruitful." Modi said there is a lot of potential in expanding ties between the countries. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi met Chinese President Jinping and thanked him for supporting India's bid to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) - a consortium that focuses on security and trade. " I am grateful to you for your efforts and support for India's SCO membership", PM Modi told Chinese president. As the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a consortium that focuses on security and trade, Modi is likely to pitch for a concerted global action plan to contain terrorism at the summit which is also being attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. On Thursday, PM Modi met Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and exchanged pleasantries when they met at a cultural gala. This was the first time that they have spoken in a year. (ANI)