
For the first time since the deadly border standoff between China and India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came face-to-face with Chinaโs President Xi Jinping at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Despite both countries reaching an agreement and completing troop disengagement at Patrolling Point-15 (PP-15) in the Gogra-Hot Springs area of eastern Ladakh after mutual verification days ago on September 13, Indiaโs position has been clear. External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has reiterated several times that โthe state of the border will determine the state of the relationshipโ.
Ambassador Raghavan discusses Indiaโs tactics and strategy, the careful planning so there would be no optics that ties could โreturn to a positive trajectory and remain sustainable, until they are based on three mutuals โ mutual sensitivity, mutual respect, and mutual interestโ, Indiaโs interests in the SCO as it assumes the chair for next year, PM Modiโs bilaterals with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkeyโs President Recep Tayyip Erdoฤan and Iranโs President Ebrahim Raisi, Delhiโs position on U.S.-led sanctions on Moscow and Tehran, Indiaโs energy interests, the state of the re-invasion of Ukraine and its impact, Pakistanโs PM Shehbaz Sharif being present, PM Modiโs call for transit access through all SCO countries, connectivity, Chabahar, Central Asia, Indiaโs partnership with the U.S., the Quad, the Russia-China โno limits partnershipโ and more.