Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s annual summit. The Russian leader is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with nine foreign leaders by Tuesday.
Heavy police security measures were put in place in Bishkek ahead of Putin’s visit, causing traffic congestion in the city.
China and India top the agenda
Putin’s first meeting is expected to be with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two sides are scheduled to discuss the Power of Siberia 2 natural gas pipeline project, which has been delayed for a long time.
The Russian president will then meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. These meetings are among the nine bilateral talks Putin is scheduled to hold in Bishkek by Tuesday.
Putin to attend opening of World Nomad Games
Putin’s programme for Monday also includes the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games. The event, held every two years, features traditional Central Asian sports such as mounted archery, eagle hunting and horseback wrestling.
Planned meetings with Iran, Türkiye and Armenia
A meeting between Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is planned on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. If it takes place, it will be the two leaders’ first meeting since the US-Israel war began in February 2026.
Putin is expected to discuss Black Sea security and the war in Ukraine with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The planned meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is expected to address Yerevan’s turn toward the European Union and the detention of pro-Russian opposition figures in Armenia.
Russian leader arrives in Bishkek with seven-member delegation
Putin is accompanied on his visit to Bishkek by a seven-member delegation. The delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, presidential advisers Maxim Oreshkin and Yury Ushakov, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation coordinator Bakhtiyor Khakimov and Russia’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Sergey Vakulov.
Putin to fly to Vladivostok after the summit
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a 10-member group comprising Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus and four Central Asian republics, was established in 2001. Russia and China played leading roles in its formation.
After attending the summit’s final session and a press conference in Bishkek, Putin is scheduled to fly directly to Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum.
