Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks in Bishkek on Monday as leaders from across Asia and beyond gathered for a two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

The meeting brought together around a dozen heads of state, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The summit also marks the SCO’s 25th anniversary.

Xi said China-Russia relations had grown stronger and had promising prospects, while warning of increasing uncertainty in the international order. Putin said bilateral cooperation was developing successfully across multiple areas.

According to The Korea Herald, the two leaders briefly touched on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Putin also met Modi, with the Russian president saying Moscow was moving toward a settlement of the conflict, although no specific details were given.

The SCO currently has 10-member states, 15 dialogue partners and two observers, Afghanistan and Mongolia. The organisation says its members represent about 40% of the world’s population and roughly 25% of global GDP.

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