The Asian alliance is expecting Iran to join on Tuesday, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver the keynote presentation at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation conference.
Putin Address Shanghai Alliance: Along with the leaders of Central Asian nations, President Xi Jinping will attend the virtual summit of the eight-member SCO, which China’s official media reported. India, which currently holds the rotating chair but has its headquarters in Beijing, will host the summit.
Without providing any other information, the Kremlin said on Monday that Putin would attend and speak at the meeting.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, led his forces in a botched uprising against Russia’s senior military command last month, which caused the Kremlin much embarrassment.
According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the summit and confirm “the full membership of Iran.”
In recent months, Tehran has stepped its diplomatic efforts with both allies and adversaries in an effort to lessen isolation, boost its economy, and project strength.
According to Nasser Kanani, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, “this membership is beneficial both for Iran and for the organisation,” and it will have “positive effects on economic development” among the member countries.
Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, will also participate, describing it as a “important forum for regional security and prosperity,” according to a statement from Islamabad’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Other SCO members include Belarus, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The organisation was founded in 2001 to debate economic and security issues.