The leaders of China, Russia and India gathered with other heads of state in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a group billed as a counterweight to U.S. global influence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are attending the events in Bishkek, the capital of the Central Asian nation.
Putin met separately with Xi and Modi in two of the many bilateral sessions on the sidelines of the summit. Putin affirmed to Xi Moscow's readiness to make the visa-free regime with China permanent, and he said Russia's relationship with India is strengthening.
Talks between Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are expected Tuesday, the day of the official SCO sessions.
Russia, now 4½ years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Iran, six months into a war with the United States and Israel, see the summit as an important platform to strengthen their relations with non-Western partners.
