Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Saturday. During the start of the meeting, PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the Chinese President for Beijing's encouragement for New Delhi's BRICS chairship, news agency PTI reported.

"I feel very happy in welcoming you. I thank you for your positive statement at the BRICS Summit. I express my gratitude for the support and cooperation received from China during India's BRICS chairship. We now have the opportunity to discuss bilateral cooperation. Once again, a warm welcome to you in India," PM Modi said.