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Bishkek: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to Kyrgyzstan on Monday for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Group, a regional bloc seeking to act as a counter-influence to the West.
Around a dozen heads of state will gather in Bishkek to mark 25 years of the 10-member group.
Attendees include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Belarusian leadership alongside host President Sadyr Japarov.
The meeting comes amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as rising US trade tariffs. Putin is scheduled to hold key bilateral talks with both Xi and Pezeshkian following US warnings against arming Tehran.
Dialogue partners including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar will also participate.
While representing 40 percent of the global population, the alliance faces internal rivalries, including Moscow and Beijing competing for influence in Central Asia.
