Chinese President Xi Jinping will host Russian leader Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of state from over 20 countries during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The forum will be held in the Chinese city of Tianjin on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, Beijing announced, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
Senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official Liu Bin said at a press conference that the leaders will present new initiatives to deepen relations between member states. The meeting comes at a time of global geopolitical tensions and will precede one of China's largest military parades in recent years.
Among those invited are Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The more turbulent and complex the international situation becomes, the more important it is for all countries to strengthen unity and cooperation,” Liu Bin stressed.
The meeting is expected to conclude with the signing and publication of a joint declaration.