SCO Summit in Bishkek on Monday, Putin, Xi, Iranian President and PM Shehbaz expected to attend

BISHKEK: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the leaders expected to attend the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) beginning Monday in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek.

The summit is being held to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the SCO and is expected to bring together around a dozen heads of state and senior officials. The organisation comprises Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Iran, four Central Asian countries and Russia’s ally Belarus.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are expected to attend the main session chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. President Putin is also expected to hold separate bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping, President Pezeshkian and other leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

According to the report, Russia and Iran have further strengthened their defence and economic cooperation during the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has warned Moscow and Beijing over the supply of weapons to Iran.

The SCO summit is taking place at a time when some member states are facing regional conflicts, including those linked to Ukraine and Iran, as well as growing trade tensions. US tariffs on Chinese and Indian products have also added pressure to the global trading environment.

Analysts say Iran views its participation in the SCO and other regional groupings as an important means of strengthening economic and diplomatic ties and reducing the impact of Western sanctions. However, questions remain over the practical effectiveness of such alliances and the tangible benefits they can deliver to member states during times of crisis.

The SCO was primarily established to promote economic, political and regional cooperation, but its regional role has expanded in recent years under the growing influence of Russia and China. According to the organisation’s founding principles, the SCO is not an alliance directed against any other country or group.

The SCO says its member states represent around 40 per cent of the world’s population and account for approximately 25 per cent of global gross domestic product. However, significant differences remain among its members in terms of political, economic and strategic interests.