Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit Discusses International Security, Economy

Tianjin: A summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is set to begin later today in the Chinese city of Tianjin. Leaders from more than 20 countries have already started arriving in the northern coastal city for the two-day event. According to Oman News Agency, the summit is being held just days before a massive military parade in nearby Beijing, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived to participate in the SCO summit as part of a four-day official visit to Russia's major neighbor and largest trading partner. Putin received a solemn official reception upon his arrival at the airport. In its report, China's state broadcaster, CCTV, described the relationship between China and Russia as being at its "best in history," having become the "most stable, mature, and strategically significant among major nations." Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also arrived yesterday Saturday. His visit, the first to China since 2018, comes directly a fter a trip to Japan, which pledged to invest $68 billion in India. According to China's official Xinhua news agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping began a bilateral meeting with Modi in the city. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be among some 26 world leaders expected to attend the military parade in Beijing. On Saturday, the Chinese president received leaders including Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. Other leaders, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will attend the largest meeting of the bloc since its founding in 2001. Through the SCO, China and Russia seek to strengthen relations with Central Asian countries. The security-focused organization includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. It has expanded in recent years to include 16 other affiliated countries as observers or "dialogue partners." The organization's scope has expanded from security and counter-terrorism to include economic and military cooperation.