Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are set to join other regional leaders Monday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
The meeting will also bring together Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with dozens of other heads of government, as the SCO marks the 25th anniversary of its founding. The organisation includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries and Belarus, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among its 15 dialogue partners.
Despite Afghanistan’s observer status, the country has not been represented at SCO meetings since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The Taliban authorities have not been granted the same participation in the organization’s meetings as Mongolia, another observer state.
The SCO represents roughly 40 percent of the world’s population and about 25 percent of global GDP. In recent years, the organisation has taken on greater political significance as Moscow and Beijing have promoted it as part of a broader push for a more multipolar international order.
The summit comes amid major geopolitical tensions, including the continuing war in Ukraine, the conflict between the United States and Iran, and trade disputes involving US tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods and secondary sanctions targeting Iran’s trading partners.
Putin is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Xi and Pezeshkian during the summit. Russia and Iran have significantly expanded their military and economic cooperation since the war in Ukraine began, while China has also faced growing pressure from Washington over its relations with Moscow and Tehran.
Although the SCO has traditionally focused on economic and regional cooperation and insists it is not directed against outside powers, its political profile has grown under Russian and Chinese leadership. Analysts say Iran’s membership could provide additional opportunities to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions, although the organisation’s practical ability to coordinate responses during major crises remains limited.
