The summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a framework led by China and Russia, will be held in Uzbekistan in Central Asia from the 15th.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold talks on the 15th for the first time since the military invasion of Ukraine.
The summit of the framework Shanghai Cooperation Organization, led by China and Russia, will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan for two days from 15th.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to attend the summit, and the two leaders are expected to hold talks on the 15th.
In the military invasion of Ukraine, Russia is forced to struggle and the economic sanctions from the West are being strengthened, and President Putin seems to want to confirm economic and military cooperation and obtain cooperation from President Xi.
On the other hand, President Xi seems to be aiming to appeal the talks as diplomatic achievements ahead of the party convention next month, which will focus on whether he will enter an unusual third term as the top of the Communist Party.
It will be the first time that the two leaders will meet face-to-face since Russia invaded Ukraine in February this year, and attention will be paid to what kind of talks will be held.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit will also be held face-to-face for the first time since the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
According to the government of Uzbekistan, the leaders of 15 countries are scheduled to attend, including Indian Prime Minister Modi and Middle Eastern Iranian President Raisi, who is expected to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Expert “Russia is increasingly divided with Europe, China is the mainstay”
Russia's Putin administration has made it clear that it will strengthen cooperation with China amid severe sanctions from the West for its military invasion of Ukraine.
Professor Tsuyoshi Yuasa of Sophia University, who is familiar with the foreign policy of Russia and Central Asian countries, said, "Since Russia's relationship with Europe is increasingly divided, China will become a reliance. It is strong as a
On top of that, President Putin said that he hopes that during the summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, "China will support this special military operation, such as supplying weapons, in a way that is advantageous to Russia." While pointing out that China is cautious about providing assistance, he analyzed that Russia expects not only political and economic cooperation from China but also military assistance.
Regarding the SCO, he said, ``If Russia's desire for a ``multipolar world'' overlaps significantly with what China is aiming for, the SCO will strengthen its role as an anti-American stronghold through cooperation between China and Russia. I think it will continue," he said, expressing the view that Russia and China will place greater emphasis on it as a counter-axis to the United States-centered "unipolarism" that both Russia and China are in conflict with.
The background to Iran's official membership
Until now, Iran has participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an "observer", but this time it is expected to sign documents for formal membership.
President Raisi, who will be attending the summit, will meet face-to-face for the first time with President Xi Jinping of China, and will also hold talks with the leaders of various countries, including President Putin of Russia and Prime Minister Modi of India, to discuss regional affairs and cooperation in the economic field. We are going to exchange opinions.
In the background of Iran's aim to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, talks to rebuild the nuclear agreement have not progressed, and economic sanctions by the United States are unlikely to be lifted. It seems that there is an aim to compete with Europe and the United States.
“Iran is looking for a more stable partner as Western companies have withdrawn due to US sanctions,” said Iranian economic analyst Mahmoud Diazl. .
On the other hand, he said, "While sanctions will hurt the economy, they will also make the region self-reliant and create new opportunities. For Iran, deepening ties with neighboring countries will be a priority in the next few years." showed.
Armed clashes in former Soviet states ahead of summit
Around the border between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan, a series of military clashes occurred by the 14th, and about 150 people, including soldiers, died according to the announcement of the governments of both countries.
The two countries continue to fight over the disputed territory of `` Nagorno Karabakh '', and after more than 5,600 people died in the 2020 armed conflict, Russia brokered a ceasefire, but fighting has continued since then.
Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan, who is allied with Russia, announced on the 14th that he had requested military support from the CSTO = Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military alliance led by Russia.
On the other hand, on the 14th at the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Central Asia, there was a gunfight between border guards, and it seems that casualties have occurred on both sides, and each side is accusing each other.
Both countries are members of the former Soviet Union, and these leaders are scheduled to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which will open on the 15th, as a member state or "dialogue partner", but Armenian state media said Prime Minister Pashinyan said it was his policy to not attend.
For President Putin, who regards the former Soviet Union as his sphere of influence, it seems that he is nervous about successive armed conflicts in neighboring countries while receiving a counteroffensive in Ukraine, which continues its military invasion.