Leaders of Russia, China, India and Iran will meet this week in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, as the non-Western partners look to strengthen ties amid growing world tension.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are expected to attend and hold official meetings.
Mr. Putin and Mr. Xi met Monday during a bilateral session: Russian media reported the meeting was productive and focused on institutionalizing the visa-free regime with China.
Mr. Modi and Mr. Pezeshkian met on the sidelines, where the Iranian leader insisted that his country is still seeking peace with the U.S. but Washington has not “fulfilled its commitments.”
“We are still working to achieve an agreement and understanding,” Mr. Pezeshkian said. “We believe that continuing the war serves neither our interests nor those of the region or humanity.”
Mr. Putin is expected to meet with his Iranian counterpart Tuesday at the official start of the summit.
Founded in 2001 as a security forum to counter Western influence, the summit has grown in influence and scope. In addition to the marquee nations in attendance, conference members include Belarus, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The meeting comes as Russia’s war against Ukraine nears its fifth anniversary and the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran churns through its sixth month.
Russia’s war has brought it closer to its allies in Asia — notably China, which has provided ample diplomatic and military support for Moscow since 2022. Belarus, one of Russia’s Western neighbors, has been a relatively firm partner since the war began.
Russia and China have maintained extensive ties with Iran following the start of the war in February. Beijing is Iran’s primary economic lifeline and purchases nearly 90% of its crude oil exports.
But the war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have throttled the economic connectivity between Iran and China. The summit is expected to consider possible solutions, such as the International North-South Transport Corridor.
The corridor is intended to link the Russian port at Saint Petersburg with Mumbai, India, while linking ports in Iran and along the Persian Gulf.
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