External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday held a meeting with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretary General Zhang Ming on the sidelines of SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Goa. Taking to Twitter, the Union minister appreciated the support by the Chinese Secretary General for India’s SCO Presidency. “Started my meetings at SCO CFM with a productive interaction with Secretary General Zhang Ming. Appreciate his support for India’s SCO Presidency,” Jaishankar tweeted.
“The Indian presidency is driven by a commitment to SECURE SCO. Its key focus areas are startups, traditional medicine, youth empowerment, buddhist heritage and science & technology,” he added.
Looking forward to a successful CFM in Goa, said Jaishankar.
Jaishankar is also scheduled to hold separate bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang Russia's Sergey Lavrov at a beach resort later in the day.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on his maiden trip to India will also attend the conference of foreign ministers, but people familiar with the preparations for the conclave said there is no plan yet for a structured bilateral meeting between him and Jaishankar, reported PTI. But they did not rule out a pull aside between the two foreign ministers.
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During his talks with Qin, Jaishankar is once again expected to convey that India-China ties cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas, people familiar with the matter said.
The two-day SCO foreign ministerial meeting will begin with a gala reception at a luxury beach resort in Goa on Thursday while the main deliberations will take place on Friday.