Russia, China Leaders Meet in Kyrgyzstan for SCO Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among more than a dozen leaders gathering in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The summit brings together leaders from across Eurasia to discuss regional security, economic cooperation, trade, energy and other international issues. It also comes as Russia and China continue to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote a more multipolar world order. Although the SCO is not officially described as an anti-Western alliance, Moscow and Beijing have increasingly

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among more than a dozen leaders gathering in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The summit brings together leaders from across Eurasia to discuss regional security, economic cooperation, trade, energy and other international issues. It also comes as Russia and China continue to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote a more multipolar world order. Although the SCO is not officially described as an anti-Western alliance, Moscow and Beijing have increasingly used the organisation as a platform to promote their views on global affairs and challenge what they see as Western dominance. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also expected to attend. Türkiye is not a full SCO member but maintains dialogue-partner status with the organisation. Pezeshkian is expected to hold bilateral talks with Putin during the summit. Iran joined the SCO in 2023 and has strengthened its military cooperation with Russia and energy ties with China. India and Pakistan, both full members of the organisation, are also expected to participate, highlighting the SCO’s role as a major forum for dialogue among countries with different political and strategic interests. The SCO has 10 full members and 15 dialogue partners, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Türkiye. The organisation says its members account for about 40 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of global GDP. The summit comes amid growing tensions between China and the United States over trade, while Russia continues to face pressure from Western countries over the war in Ukraine.