BISHKEK: China’s Xi Jinping and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian were in Kyrgyzstan for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, with Russia’s Vladimir Putin expected later on Monday for the two-day event that will involve over a dozen other leaders.
The regional SCO bloc — which seeks to be a counterinfluence to the West — is celebrating its 25-year anniversary.
The group brings together Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries and Moscow-allied Belarus.
Arriving in Bishkek on Sunday, Xi hailed what he described as a “golden period” in relations with Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, as China deepens its influence in the historically Russia-dominated region.
Putin and Xi have previously used SCO summits to promote their vision of a multipolar world and present a united front against the West.
