Modi-Xi will 'definitely' meet during SCO summit: India's envoy

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China to take part in the SCO summit in June during which there will "definitely" be a bilateral meeting between him and President Xi Jinping, India's envoy Gautam Bambawale has said.

"During that (SCO summit), we will definitely have a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping. And before that happens we want to have a lot of other meetings," said Bambawale in an interview to Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a China-dominated security grouping, is increasingly seen as a counterweight to NATO.

The SCO summit is due to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao from June 9-10.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone on his re-election for another five years and discussed efforts by both the countries to enhance high-level exchanges and deepen bilateral cooperation. 

Both India and China are ancient civilisations with global influence, India will work with China to enhance high-level exchanges, deepen bilateral ties, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international affairs to further a closer developmental partnership between the two countries and promote global and regional peace and development, according to the report. 

In an interview to Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Bambawale said: "During that (SCO summit), we will definitely have a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping. And before that happens we want to have a lot of other meetings".

"We will have a whole series of meetings in the next few weeks and months," the envoy said, adding that the boundary officials of both the countries will also be meeting.

"We are having these meetings to have candid and frank discussions," Bambawale said.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently said that she would visit China next month.

The Foreign Ministers of the SCO countries are also due to meet before the summit.

Last year, Indian and Chinese troops had been locked in a stand off for over two months at the Dokalam area in Sikkim section. The face off ended on August 28.