Russia's Putin and China's Xi to attend summit in Kyrgyzstan

Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping will attend a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Kyrgyzstan, the country's capital Bishkek, on Monday. This is the eighth SCO summit since its establishment in 2001, and marks its 25th anniversary. The SCO is a regional bloc comprised of Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries, and Moscow-allied Belarus.

Xi Jinping described the SCO as being in a "golden period" in its relations with Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, as China continues to deepen its influence in the historically Russia-dominated region. In their previous SCO summit, Putin and Xi used the platform to promote their vision of a multipolar world and present a united front against the West.

The SCO will convene a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz leader Sadyr Japarov, with Russian President Putin, Chinese President Xi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif all expected to attend. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to attend as well, despite his country not being a formal member of the SCO.

Putin is also expected to hold separate bilateral talks with Iranian President Pezeshkian and Chinese President Xi during the summit. While the SCO traditionally focuses on economic issues, it has gained momentum in recent years under the leadership of Russia and China. However, the SCO's effectiveness in resolving member countries' difficulties remains debatable, with some experts noting that during times of crisis, the bloc's diverse interests and competing ambitions often hinder meaningful progress.