Putin arrives in Kazakhstan for Russia-China-led summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on July 3 for regional security and defense discussions, according to the Kremlin. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from China and Turkey.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), founded by China and Russia in 2001 to ensure security in the Eurasian region, will convene for their summit on July 3-4 in Astana, Kazakhstan's capital.
"The leaders of the SCO member countries will discuss the current state and prospects for further deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organization and improving its activities," the Kremlin said in a statement.
Although the meeting is likely to be led by Russia and China, leaders or representatives from Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan are also expected to participate. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected to attend.
On July 2, Russia announced that Putin will engage in a series of bilateral talks, including meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Moscow later this month, will not attend the summit and will instead be represented by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Reuters reports.
