PM Narendra Modi meets Belarus, Tajikistan leaders in Tashkent

Tashkent: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held bilateral talks with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit here.

During the talks with Belarus, the two sides discussed the anniversary of 25 years of diplomatic relations between India and Belarus, focussing on all the different spheres of bilateral ties.

Both sides stressed on the need to take relations to new heights. The diversification of trade, encouraging the possibility of Indian investments in potash mines in Belarus and collaboration in the field of science and technology, particularly by drawing on the talent of the youth were priority areas of discussion, according to a Ministry of External Affairs statement.

Modi met President Rahmon on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. The two leaders decided to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations in a manner befitting the strong bonds between the two countries.

Both leaders spoke of the intensification of trade and economic linkages, working towards better connectivity between the two countries and of ongoing security cooperation. The yearly celebration of the International Day of Yoga was a special item of discussion, the statement said.