India said today (6) that prime minister Narendra Modi will hold meetings with leaders of countries like the UK, Canada, Japan, and the UK on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg but ruled out any scheduled bilateral meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"The prime minister is visiting Hamburg from July 6-8 for G-20 Summit. His pre-planned bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Summit are with Argentina, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, ROK (Republic of Korea), the UK and Vietnam," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said when asked about prime minister Modi's schedule in Hamburg.
"In addition, he will also participate in the BRICS Leaders meeting. There is no change in the prime minister's schedule," he said, suggesting that there was no scheduled bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi.
Comments by Baglay, who is accompanying Modi on his overseas trip, came after Chinese foreign ministry officials also ruled out the possibility of a Xi-Modi meet.
China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Armys construction party attempted to build a road.
Fighting terrorism, climate change and global trade will be at the core when prime minister Modi and leaders from the worlds other top economies assemble here for a two-day G20 Summit beginning tomorrow.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event