Tashkent, Jun 24 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to hold a bilateral meeting on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit here.

Modi, who arrived here on Thursday on a two-day visit, earlier held a bilateral meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, in his first diplomatic engagement of the day.

He later posed for a family photograph with the SCO members ahead of attending a plenary of the grouping that is to focus on enhancing connectivity and cooperation.

"Expanding cooperation in our extended neighbourhood. PM @narendramodi with SCO Summit leaders in a family photograph," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

"Enhancing connectivity & cooperation, building prosperity. PM @narendramodi attends SCO Plenary in Tashkent," he posted.

The six-member China-led grouping has kicked off the process for absorbing India and Pakistan as members, following an agreement reached last year at the summit in Ufa, Russia.