Putin, Xi hold talks in Kyrgyzstan as regional summit begins

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping began talks on Aug 31 in Kyrgyzstan, where a dozen other heads of state also gathered for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which seeks to be a counterbalance to the West.

Iranian leader Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were also among those in Bishkek to attend the summit of the regional SCO bloc, which celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The summit takes place 4½ years into Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and six months into the war between Washington and Tehran.

Putin and Xi have previously used SCO summits to promote their vision of a multipolar world and present a united front against the West.

Xi told Putin he was “happy” to see him, saying Russia-Chinese ties have become “more solid” and that their “prospects will be even brighter”.

“The amount of uncertainty and unpredictability in the international order has obviously increased,” the Chinese leader said.

Putin told Xi: “Cooperation is successfully developing on all fronts.”

The pair last met in May.

Russia’s economy has become increasingly dependent on China during its invasion of Ukraine.

Western countries have called on Beijing to pressure Moscow to end its offensive.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the pair discussed the Ukraine war only “in passing”.

Putin also met Modi, with both leaders arriving in the same car for the talks.

The Russian leader said Moscow was “following the path” towards resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, without elaborating.

The peace talks, brokered by the US, remain stalled.

Putin is also expected to hold separate talks with Pezeshkian.

Russia and Iran – among the most sanctioned states in the world – have massively deepened their military and economic ties since Moscow invaded Ukraine.

War not ‘in our interest’

US President Donald Trump has warned Moscow and Beijing against arming Iran.

Putin’s meeting with Pezeshkian will come days after Central Intelligence Agency director John Ratcliffe made a rare trip to Moscow, with US media speculating that he could have discussed Ukraine and Iran with his Russian counterparts.

Speaking in Bishkek after the first exchange of fire between the US and Iran in a month, Pezeshkian said continuing the war was not in Tehran’s interests.

“We continue to strive for a path of agreement and understanding, and we believe that continuing the war is neither in our interest nor in the interest of the region,” he told India’s Modi.

Putin, Xi, Pezeshkian, Modi and Sharif are due to take part in a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz leader Sadyr Japarov.

The SCO has historically focused on economic issues but has gained momentum in recent years under the leadership of Moscow and Beijing.

On top of its 10 members, it now has 15 “dialogue partners”, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

It also has two observer countries: Afghanistan and Mongolia.

Real and trade wars

The Bishkek summit takes place at a time when some SCO members are in the midst of real wars – the Ukraine and Iran conflicts – or trade wars, with the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods.

In August, the US slapped secondary sanctions on Iran’s trading partners in the sectors of gold, technology, digital assets, aviation and maritime transport, aiming to cripple Tehran’s economy.

Washington has also threatened Iran’s allies with sanctions.

China, a major importer of Iranian oil, responded by saying it would “firmly defend” its interests.

Iran, living under sanctions since its 1979 revolution ended with the Islamic authorities taking charge, has regularly said it will not cave to economic pressure.

But Pezeshkian has acknowledged his country faces “economic difficulties”.

Iran joined the bloc only in 2023.

Mohammad Hassan Najmi, an international relations expert, told AFP that Tehran “believes its membership and active participation in these alliances can enable it to circumvent US and European sanctions”.

But concrete benefits of the group are uncertain, he said, as “in times of crisis, these alliances have rarely allowed Iran to resolve its difficulties”.

While the bloc claims to represent about 40 per cent of the world’s population and 25 per cent of global gross domestic product, it remains diverse, with disagreements among members. AFP