Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday boarded the same car as they headed to the venue of their bilateral meeting. After the proceedings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, PM Modi and Putin will hold bilateral talks focusing on strengthening India-Russia ties and the conflict in Ukraine.
Taking to X, PM Modi posted, "After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful."
Earlier in the day, striking photos of PM Modi's informal interaction with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin surfaced, capturing a light moment shared between the three leaders on the sidelines of the SCO Summit.
The images showed all three leaders smiling and conversing, reminiscent of a similar photo taken during the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. In the latest photo, Putin is seen on the left, Prime Minister Modi at the centre, and Xi Jinping on the right, walking together in a relaxed manner to pose for a SCO family photo.
Sharing the picture on X, PM Modi wrote, "Interactions in Tianjin continue! Exchanging perspectives with President Putin and President Xi during the SCO Summit." The Prime Minister also posted another image with Russian President Putin, where the two leaders were seen shaking hands and hugging.
PM Modi shared the photo on social media and captioned it, "Always a delight to meet President Putin!" Additionally, the Prime Minister and Russian President were seen walking past Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, who appeared isolated, as both leaders engaged in an informal conversation.
As the two leaders engaged in an animated discussion, Sharif stood alone with a grim expression while watching them pass by. The moment occurred as leaders of SCO member states gathered for a family photo in Tianjin.