Handshakes, Hugs, Smiles: PM Modi, Putin, Xi Bonhomie At SCO Summit

As over 20 foreign leaders gathered in China's Tianjin for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared lighter moments with a handshake and a hug. The two leaders, who will be holding a bilateral meeting later today on the sidelines of the Summit, met for the first time after the US imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India over its Russian oil imports. LIVE UPDATES

PM Modi, in a post on X, shared pictures with the Russian leader, saying it is "always a delight to meet him".

Always a delight to meet President Putin! pic.twitter.com/XtDSyWEmtw

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025

Other videos and photos from the SCO Summit venue showed PM Modi, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping sharing a moment of bonhomie with smiles and handshakes.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other Heads of States/Heads of Governments pose for a group photograph at the Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China.

(Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/UftzXy6g3K

— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2025

The PM also shared glimpses of their interaction, highlighting the friendly engagement between the three leaders. "Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit," he wrote.

Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit. pic.twitter.com/K1eKVoHCvv

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 1, 2025

The pictures of the three leaders smiling and conversing are reminiscent of a similar photo taken during the BRICS Summit in 2018.

The friendly interactions between the three leaders come amid their own strained ties with the US.

On Sunday, PM Modi held bilateral talks with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit for over 50 minutes, during which the two leaders pledged to resolve their border differences and bolster cooperation. In his opening remarks, PM Modi said he is "committed" to taking India-China relations "forward based on mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity".

"Last year in Kazan, we had very fruitful discussions, which gave a positive direction to our relations. After the disengagement on the border, an atmosphere of peace and stability has been created," he said.

This is PM Modi's first visit to China in seven years, especially since the relations between the two countries turned sour after the deadly Galwan clashes in 2020.

The SCO Summit

PM Modi addressed the plenary session on the second day of the SCO Summit which included the participation of more than 20 foreign leaders and 10 heads of international organisations. Xi Jinping delivered the opening address of the session during which he criticised the "bullying behaviour" in the world order. He called on the leaders, including Putin and PM Modi, to "adhere to fairness and justice, and oppose Cold War mentality, camp confrontation and bullying behaviour".

He also unveiled his ambition for a new global security order that poses a challenge to the United States, saying that China will work with all parties in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to take the regional security forum to a new level.

Besides India, the SCO comprises China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus -- with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or "dialogue partners".