Putin Says He Expects To Meet PM Modi At SCO Summit Next Week

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he aims to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a regional forum next week, while calling for stepped-up trade cooperation between the two nations.At a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at the Kremlin on Monday, Putin highlighted a recovery in trade turnover between Russia and India following a dip the prior year. He then asked the foreign minister to pass on his greetings to the prime minister."I would like to ask you to convey my very best wishes to Mr. Modi," Putin said. "I hope to see him in the near future, as we planned, during the work of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Our schedule is such that we will probably be able to meet once again this year."The SCO will be held in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, on August 31-September 1.