New Delhi: External Affairs Minister SM Krishna is in Beijing to participate in the 12th summit of the China-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in which India is an observer. There is speculation that India could be invited to participate in the Peace Mission counter terrorism exercises that is presently restricted to SCO members. The exercises are vital given the common concerns that exist over Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Iran's President Ahmedinejad are among those who will be attending the summit.
On the relationship between both the countries, Krishna said, "I don't think that there are any contentious issues between China and India and I have held consistently to the view in the last three years that we have a process which has been put in place even to iron out the differences on the boundary question," Krishna said.
"We are hopeful that we would be in a position to find a mutually acceptable resolution of these boundary questions," he added.
Krishna is scheduled to meet Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang to review the bilateral ties between the two countries on Wednesday.
Indian officials regard the meeting significant as Li is tipped to take over as premier from incumbent Wen Jiabao, who is set to retire along with President Hu Jintao and other top leaders after a decade-long stint in power.
While Li was expected to be premier, Vice President Xi Jinping is widely tipped to get selected for the president's post in the 18th Communist Party of China Congress later this year.
As the bilateral relations showed considerable improvement in the recent years, India looks to establish rapport with the new leaders.
The SCO summit this year is expected to focus on the situation in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the departure of US led NATO troops in 2014.
Despite assertions by Russia, a dominant member of SCO to make India and Pakistan regular members, no movement on it was expected during the summit as Beijing has said there was no time limit in this regard.
Countries seeking membership should work hard towards political, legal and technical preparations for the membership, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping told media here ahead of the summit.
SCO members include Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Pakistan, India, Iran and Mongolia has the observer status while Turkmenistan and Afghanistan attend SCO gatherings as guest nations.
During the summit, Afghanistan and Turkey were likely to be made observers.
(With additional inputs from PTI)
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Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna generally referred to as S. M. Krishna, is an Indian politician who has served in the government of India as Minister of External Affairs since 2009.
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Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia) was the second President of Russia and is the current Prime Minister of Russia as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council ...
Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister.
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