Leaders of Russia, China, Iran to attend summit in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Aug 29: Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping are expected in Central Asia's Kyrgyzstan Monday for a two-day summit, also attended by Iran's and India's leaders, of a regional bloc seeking to be a counter-influence to the West.

Around a dozen heads of states will head to the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek to mark 25 years of the Shanghai Cooperation Group (SCO).

The group brings together Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries and Moscow-allied Belarus.

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

It takes place four-and-a-half years into Moscow's Ukraine invasion and six months into the war between Washington and Tehran. Iran will be represented by its president, MasoudPezeshkian.

Putin, Xi, Pezeshkian as well as India's Narendra Modi and Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif are due to take part in a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz leader SadyrJaparov.

Putin is also expected to hold separate bilateral talks with Iran's Pezeshkian and China's Xi, among other leaders, Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov said.�"AFP