Putin arrives in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK. Aug 31 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kyrgyzstan on a working visit for a jubilee summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and numerous bilateral contacts on its sidelines.

The president's first working day in Bishkek, Monday, starts with personal meetings. The leaders often use the occasion to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of major summits.

The same will happen this time. Besides the SCO summit, Putin is due to participate in nine bilateral meetings, the first of which is the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, another SCO summit participant.

Then, Putin will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Monday evening, all the heads of state participating in the SCO summit will meet at the opening ceremony of the Sixth World Nomad Games hosted by Bishkek, and will have a chance of informal communication.

Putin's last event for today will be a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The main day of the SCO summit is September 1, when Putin will continue his diplomatic blitz.

The day will begin with a meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of SCO members - Belarus, India. Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. The signing of over 20 joint documents will follow.

Then, there will be a SCO Plus meeting, and the SCO heads of state will be joined by delegations from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Vietnam, Egypt, Laos, Mongolia, Togo and Turkey, as well as the heads of a number of international organizations, such as the UN, the Eurasian Economic Commission, the CSTO, the CICA, and the CIS.

The Russian president will continue his bilateral meetings after the summit on September 1.

First, Putin will speak with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and a meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon will come next.

After that, Putin is due to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.

A meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is also on Putin's schedule.

The bilateral contacts with end with a meeting with SCO summit host, Kyrgyz President Japarov.

At the end of the working day, Putin plans to talk to the Russian media.

Afterwards, Putin will leave Kyrgyzstan for Vladivostok for the Eastern Economic Forum.