Pak action against terrorism must for peace: Modi tells Xi

BISHKEK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday raised the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan during his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping here and told him his countrys "all-weather friend" Pakistan must take concrete action against terrorism as "proposed" to it by India.
India expects "concrete action" by Islamabad to create an atmosphere free of terror for the resumption of dialogue, Modi told Xi and said his efforts to develop peaceful bilateral relations with the western neighbour had been "derailed".

Prime Minister Modi met President Xi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here and discussed the full spectrum of bilateral relations.

This is the first meeting between the two leaders after Modi's re-election following the stunning victory of the BJP in the general elections last month.

The meeting also comes a month after the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the powerful UN Security Council designated Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist after China, Pakistan's closest ally, lifted its technical hold on the proposal to blacklist him.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said that there was a brief discussion on Pakistan during the talks between the two leaders.

He said India has a consistent position with respect to Pakistan that it wants peaceful relations with Islamabad.

Gokhale said Prime Minister Modi told President Xi that he has made efforts to improve ties with Islamabad but these efforts have been "derailed".

"Pakistan needs to create an atmosphere free of terror, but at this stage we do not see it happening. We expect Islamabad to take concrete action" to resume talks, Gokhale quoted the prime minister as telling President Xi.

Modi's comments came ahead of President Xi's meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also here in the Kyrgyz capital to attend the SCO summit.

Khan has twice written to Prime Minister Modi, seeking resumption of dialogue on all issues, including Kashmir.

Responding to Khan's overtures, Prime Minister Modi told his Pakistani counterpart that creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism was essential for fostering peace and prosperity in the region.

India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by a Pakistan-based terror group, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Amid mounting outrage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was later handed over to India.

China played a role in easing tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Modi also had an "excellent" meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and they reviewed all aspects of bilateral relations to further boost the strategic relationship.

"PM @narendramodi and President Putin had a wonderful meeting in Bishkek. Various subjects pertaining to India-Russia relations were discussed during the meeting," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi said that the meeting with President Putin was "excellent."

"We had wide-ranging discussions on ways to further boost the India-Russia strategic relationship. We look forward to increased trade and people-to-people linkages with Russia," he said.

The meeting began with Putin congratulating Modi over his election victory.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the two leaders "reviewed all aspects of bilateral relations to further strengthen the strategic relationship."

Briefing the media after the meeting, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said that it was a "brief but very very rich" meeting in terms of content.

He said that defence and energy were key focus during their talks. The two leaders also reviewed trade and investment ties and noted that they're on an upward trajectory.

Prime Minister Modi thanked the Russian President for his support for the AK-203 Kalashnikov rifles manufacturing unit in Amethi, an India-Russia joint venture. The unit was inaugurated by Modi in March in Korwa, near Amethi.

"If we really set our minds to achieving something, we can do a great deal within a very definite timeframe. This (unit) is an excellent example of what we both were able to accomplish," Modi told Putin.

Russia has been one of India's key suppliers of arms and ammunition.

President Putin recognised Prime Minister Modi's personal contribution in strengthening bilateral relations and said that Russia awarded its highest state honour 'Order of St Andrew the Apostle' to him for initiatives he has taken to develop the bilateral relationship.

Gokhale said there will be a Russia, India and China trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan later this month.

President Putin invited Prime Minister Modi formally to be the main guest at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia in early September, and he warmly accepted the invitation, Gokhale said.

"We will do serious preparation on our side that this participation at the EEC is meaningful," Gokhale quoted the Prime Minister as telling Putin.

The two leaders recognised that the new area of cooperation are Russian Far East and Arctic region.

Responding to a question, Gokhale said there was no discussion on any regional or international issue as the focus was entirely on how to make Prime Minister's visit for the next annual summit successful.

On his part, Putin said that in the course of the past years, the two sides have done a great deal to promote their inter-state relations.

"They have developed steadily, including through your personal efforts and your attention to the development of Russian-Indian relations," he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Kremlin.
"We have a very busy agenda ahead - and not just within the framework of our work here in Bishkek, but also at various other platforms that we plan to use for further communication. Apart from everything else, I would like to invite you to be the main guest of the Eastern Economic Forum, which will be held in Vladivostok in September," Putin told Modi.

Modi arrived in the Kyrgyz capital on Thursday for the SCO summit, the first multilateral engagement post his re-election. The SCO is a China-led 8-member economic and security bloc with India and Pakistan being admitted to the grouping in 2017.

In December last, Prime Minister Modi, President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a trilateral meeting, the second among the three countries after a gap of 12 years, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires during which they underscored the benefits of a multilateral trading system and an open world economy for global growth and prosperity.

Earlier in October, President Putin travelled to India for the 19th India-Russia annual summit during which he held comprehensive discussions with Modi on wide-ranging bilateral, regional and international issues.

Meanwhile, moderate Hurriyat Conference Thursday asked the prime ministers of India and Pakistan to use the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek to break the ice and resume engagement between the two countries.

"We reiterate that political engagement is the most effective way to move forward and end the painful bloodshed in Kashmir. We urge India-Pakistan leadership to break the ice at SCO and engage with each other," Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said after a meeting of the amalgam here.
He said the Hurriyat Conference is concerned and anguished over the continued bloodshed and killings across the Kashmir Valley.

"People of Kashmir are suffering the consequences of the conflict for decades now," he added.

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