Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to arrive in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, on Monday for a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, with Iranian and Indian leaders also in attendance. The gathering represents a significant diplomatic occasion for the regional bloc positioning itself as a counterweight to Western influence.
Approximately a dozen heads of state are expected in Bishkek to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Group.
The organization comprises Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian nations, and Belarus, which maintains close ties with Moscow.
Both Putin and Xi have historically utilized SCO summits to advance their vision of a multipolar world and present a united stance against Western powers.
The summit occurs four-and-a-half years into Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine and six months after tensions escalated between Washington and Tehran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will represent Iran at the proceedings.
Putin, Xi, Pezeshkian, alongside India’s Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, are scheduled to participate in a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.
Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov announced that Putin also intends to conduct separate bilateral meetings with Pezeshkian and Xi, among other participating leaders.
Russia and Iran—two of the world’s most sanctions-burdened nations—have substantially strengthened their military and economic partnerships throughout the Ukraine conflict.
US President Donald Trump has cautioned both Moscow and Beijing against providing arms to Iran.
Putin’s meeting with Pezeshkian follows CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s rare visit to Moscow, where US media outlets speculated that discussions regarding Ukraine and Iran may have taken place with Russian officials.
The SCO has traditionally emphasized economic cooperation. The organization has gained considerable momentum in recent years under Russian and Chinese leadership.
Beyond its ten full members, the SCO now encompasses 15 dialogue partners, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Afghanistan and Mongolia serve as observer states.
The SCO’s foundational charter states that the organization “is not an alliance directed against other states.”
However, Putin and Xi have repeatedly delivered anti-Western rhetoric during summit proceedings.
At last year’s gathering, Putin accused Western nations of provoking the Ukraine conflict, while Xi condemned “acts of intimidation” in reference to tensions between the United States and China.
– Real and Trade Wars –
The Bishkek summit convenes as several SCO member states navigate active conflicts—the situations in Ukraine and Iran—or trade disputes, including the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods.
This month, the United States imposed secondary sanctions on Iran’s trading partners across sectors including gold, technology, digital assets, aviation, and maritime transport, aiming to pressure the Iranian government.
Washington has also threatened sanctions against Iran’s allies.
China, a significant importer of Iranian oil, responded by stating it would “firmly defend” its interests.
Iran, which has operated under sanctions since the 1979 revolution that brought Islamic authorities to power, has consistently maintained it will not yield to economic pressure.
Nevertheless, Pezeshkian has acknowledged that his nation confronts “economic difficulties.”
Iran officially joined the bloc in 2023.
International relations expert Mohammad Hassan Najmi informed AFP that Tehran “believes its membership and active participation in these alliances can enable it to circumvent US and European sanctions.”
However, Najmi noted that concrete benefits from the organization remain uncertain, as “in times of crisis, these alliances have rarely allowed Iran to resolve its difficulties.”
While the bloc claims to represent approximately 40 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of global GDP, it remains a diverse group with occasional disagreements among members.
Russia and China compete for influence in Central Asia—a resource-rich region vital for transporting goods between Europe and Asia—while Beijing has at times experienced strained relations with both India and Pakistan.
