Putin, Xi meet in Bishkek as SCO summit gathers regional leaders
What's new: Iran, India, Pakistan and Turkey also joined the Kyrgyzstan summit as the bloc marked its 25th anniversary.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Bishkek on Monday as leaders from across Asia gathered for a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Kyrgyzstan. The meeting came as the SCO, which includes Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Iran, marked its 25th anniversary. Putin and Xi have used past summits to promote closer coordination and a multipolar world order. The Kremlin said the Ukraine war was discussed only briefly. Putin was also expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian separately on the sidelines of the gathering chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.