Putin Arrives In Kazakhstan Attending SCO Summit, Will Meet Xi Jinping And Erdogan

Russian President Vladimir Putin tina In Kazakhstan, Wednesday, July 3, 2024/PHOTO: Kremlin

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kazakhstan for regional security and defense talks and a series of bilateral meetings, including with the leaders of China and Turkey.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a forum founded by China and Russia in 2001 as a security custodian in the Eurasian region, will meet for a summit on July 3-4 in the Kazakh capital, Astana.

"The leaders of the SCO member states will discuss the current state and prospects for further deepening multifaceted cooperation within the organization and increasing its activities," the Kremlin said, as reported by Reuters on Wednesday, July 3.

While the meeting is likely to be dominated by Russia and China, the leaders or representatives of Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, China, Mongolia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan are also expected to attend.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also expected to attend, Russian agencies said on Tuesday, July 2.

Russia said Putin would hold a series of bilateral talks, including with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend and will be represented by Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.