BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Bishkek on Monday for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and talks with regional leaders.
The two-day SCO summit brings leaders from across Eurasia to the Kyrgyz capital. The organisation is also marking its 25th anniversary.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the leaders attending.
Pezeshkian will address the summit and attend the SCO Plus meeting. Iranian state media said he also plans separate meetings with leaders from Russia, India, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The Kremlin confirmed that Putin plans to meet Pezeshkian on the sidelines. Moscow and Tehran have expanded political and economic ties in recent years.
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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also attending the summit. Pakistan said Sharif will assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27 during the visit.
Iran joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation as a full member in 2023. Belarus followed in 2024, bringing the group to 10 full members.
Pezeshkian will also attend the opening ceremony of the sixth World Nomad Games in Bishkek. The Games begin on August 31 and continue until September 6. Kyrgyzstan will host the main sporting and cultural events in Bishkek and the Issyk-Kul region
The Iranian president’s visit comes as SCO members discuss regional security, economic cooperation, trade, transport links and energy ties.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s arrival in Kyrgyzstan for the 26th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. August 31 for the SCO summit, with bilateral meetings and the World Nomad Games opening also on his agenda.
