Bishkek: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to arrive in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for a two-day summit, marking a significant gathering of leaders from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). This summit aims to present a united front amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran, as well as escalating tensions with Western nations.
According to France24.com, the meeting will also see the participation of leaders from Iran and India, alongside around a dozen heads of state who will convene in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, to commemorate 25 years of the SCO. The organization, which includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries, and Moscow-allied Belarus, has been used by Putin and Xi to promote their vision of a multipolar world and counter Western influence.
The summit takes place four-and-a-half years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine and six months into heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. Iran will be represented by President Masoud Pezeshkian, joining Putin, Xi, India's Narendra Modi, and Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif in a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz leader Sadyr Japarov. Putin is also expected to engage in separate bilateral talks with Pezeshkian and Xi, among other leaders, according to Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov.
Russia and Iran, two of the most heavily sanctioned nations globally, have significantly strengthened their military and economic ties during the Ukraine conflict. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has issued warnings to Moscow and Beijing against supplying arms to Iran. The meeting between Putin and Pezeshkian follows a rare visit by CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow, with US media speculating that discussions may have included Ukraine and Iran.
The SCO, traditionally focused on economic matters, has gained momentum under Moscow's and Beijing's leadership. In addition to its 10 members, the organization has 15 dialogue partners, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, and two observer countries: Afghanistan and Mongolia. The SCO's founding declaration stipulates that it is not an alliance directed against other states, although anti-Western rhetoric has been a feature of past summits.
The Bishkek summit occurs as some SCO members are embroiled in real wars-Ukraine and Iran-or trade wars, with the US imposing tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods. Recently, the US implemented secondary sanctions on Iran's trading partners in sectors like gold, technology, and maritime transport, aiming to stifle the Iranian regime. In response, China has pledged to "firmly defend" its interests as a major importer of Iranian oil.
Iran, under sanctions since its 1979 revolution, has consistently stated it will not succumb to economic pressure, though Pezeshkian has acknowledged the country's "economic difficulties." Iran joined the SCO in 2023, with hopes that membership could help circumvent US and European sanctions. However, Mohammad Hassan Najmi, an international relations expert, cautions that the bloc's concrete benefits for Iran remain uncertain, as it has rarely resolved Iran's challenges during crises.
Representing approximately 40 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of global GDP, the SCO remains diverse, with internal disagreements. Russia and China vie for influence in resource-rich Central Asia, critical for goods transport between Europe and Asia, while China has occasionally experienced strained relations with India and Pakistan.