Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) (AFP) – China’s Xi Jinping and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian were in Kyrgyzstan for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, with Russia’s Vladimir Putin expected later on Monday for the two-day event that will involve over a dozen other leaders. The regional SCO bloc — which seeks to be a counterinfluence to the West — is celebrating its 25-year anniversary. The group brings together Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries, and Moscow-allied Belarus.
Arriving in Bishkek on Sunday, Xi hailed what he described as a “golden period” in relations with Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, as China deepens its influence in the historically Russia-dominated region. Putin and Xi have previously used SCO summits to promote their vision of a multipolar world and present a united front against the West. It takes place four-and-a-half years into Moscow’s Ukraine invasion and six months into the war between Washington and Tehran. Iran’s Pezeshkian also arrived in Bishkek, Tehran’s media reported. Putin, Xi, and Pezeshkian, as well as India’s Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, are due to take part in a plenary session chaired by Kyrgyz leader Sadyr Japarov. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected to attend, although his country is not a formal member.
– Diplomacy –
Putin is also due to hold separate bilateral talks with Pezeshkian and Xi, among other leaders, Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov said. Russia and Iran — among the most sanctioned states in the world — have massively deepened their military and economic ties since Moscow invaded Ukraine. US President Donald Trump has warned Moscow and Beijing against arming Iran. Putin’s meeting with Pezeshkian comes days after the CIA’s director John Ratcliffe made a rare trip to Moscow, with US media speculating he could have discussed Ukraine and Iran with his Russian counterparts.
The SCO has historically focused on economic issues but has gained momentum in recent years under Moscow’s and Beijing’s leadership. On top of its 10 members, it now has 15 “dialogue partners”, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. It also has two observer countries — Afghanistan and Mongolia. The SCO’s founding declaration says the group is “not an alliance directed against other states.” But Putin and Xi have repeatedly made anti-Western speeches during its summits. At last year’s gathering, Putin accused Western countries of provoking the Ukraine war, while Xi denounced “acts of intimidation”, referring to US-Chinese tensions.
– Real and trade wars –
The Bishkek summit takes place at a time when some SCO members are in the midst of real wars — the Ukraine and Iran conflicts — or trade wars, with the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods. This month, the US slapped secondary sanctions on Iran’s trading partners in the sectors of gold, technology, digital assets, aviation, and maritime transport, aiming to cripple Tehran’s economy. Washington has also threatened Iran’s allies with sanctions. China, a major importer of Iranian oil, responded by saying it would “firmly defend” its interests.
Iran, living under sanctions since its 1979 revolution ended with Islamic authorities taking charge, has regularly said it will not cave to economic pressure. But Pezeshkian has acknowledged his country faces “economic difficulties”. Iran only joined the bloc in 2023. Mohammad Hassan Najmi, an international relations expert, told AFP that Tehran “believes its membership and active participation in these alliances can enable it to circumvent US and European sanctions.” But concrete benefits of the group are uncertain, he said, as “in times of crisis, these alliances have rarely allowed Iran to resolve its difficulties.”
While the bloc claims to represent some 40 percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of global GDP, it remains diverse, with some disagreements among members. Russia and China compete for influence in Central Asia — a resource-rich region crucial for the transport of goods between Europe and Asia — while Beijing has at times had strained relations with India and Pakistan.
© 2024 AFP
