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Met President Xi Jinping. We spoke about India-China relations and how to further improve ties. https://t.co/67aPIi6GFF — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1496987559000

Held talks with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. We discussed ways to boost India-Uzbekistan relations, especially eco… https://t.co/msD8LNBKJ7 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1496987615000

Modi, Sharif exchange pleasantries in Astana

ASTANA/NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met President Xi Jinping in Astana, Kazakhstan and thanked him for China's support for India's full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ."I got the opportunity to meet you again during the SCO summit. I am grateful to you for your efforts and support for India's SCO membership," PM Modi told the Chinese President."We spoke about India-China relations and how to further improve ties," Modi tweeted after his meeting with Xi, who is also the general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China.This is the first Modi-Xi meeting this year. The meet comes soon after India's boycott of the OBOR conference which was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin .China is vocal about its stand to block India's admission into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It had also stalled India's move to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.After Astana, Modi and Xi are also expected to cross paths at the G20 summit to be held next month in Hamburg, Germany followed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) summit to be held in Xiamen, China in September.India abstained from the summit to highlight its concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and passes through Gilgit and Baltistan, a region India maintains is integral to the state of J&K.The differences with China over the issue of India's bid for NSG membership are also expected to be touched upon by Modi during the meeting.Modi also met Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the SCO.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Thursday night exchanged pleasantries at a cultural gala in Astana, amid frosty bilateral ties, deadlocked talks and escalation of hostilities along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.It was the first encounter between Modi and Sharif after their last meeting in Lahore on December 25, 2015, when the Indian prime minister made a surprise stopover at the historic city.Modi and Sharif are in Astana to attend the summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) where India and Pakistan will be inducted as full members of the bloc today.Official sources said Modi and Sharif were in the Leaders' Lounge at the Astana Opera tonight before the SCO concert where they exchanged greetings.(With inputs from agencies)