Putin Arrives in Kazakhstan for SCO Summit Amid Regional Security Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Where leaders will discuss regional security and bilateral relations, including meetings with Chinese and Turkish leaders.

The SCO, established in 2001 by China and Russia to enhance security cooperation across Eurasia, will convene in Astana on July 3-4. According to a statement from the Kremlin (President of Russian Federation official website), the summit aims to deepen multifaceted cooperation within the organization and enhance its operational effectiveness.

While Russia and China are expected to play prominent roles at the summit, leaders and representatives from Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan are also slated to attend the meet.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to participate as well, according to Russian agencies.

Ahead of the summit, Putin is scheduled to engage in a series of bilateral meetings, including with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. However, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be attending; instead, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will represent India during the discussions.

Last year’s virtual summit saw the SCO issue a statement criticizing the unilateral expansion of global missile defense systems, without explicitly mentioning NATO’s expansion efforts or Western military support to Ukraine.

The current summit is anticipated to address pressing regional security issues amid geopolitical tensions, with a focus on enhancing cooperation among member states across various domains.