Putin to hold talks with Uzbek, Tajik, Iranian and Mongolian leaders in Qingdao

QINGDAO/China/, June 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to hold a series of bilateral meetings on Saturday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s summit in China’s resort city of Qingdao scheduled for June 9-10. The Russian leader is scheduled to hold negotiations with the leaders of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran and Mongolia. The SCO summit’s major events will be held on Sunday and on the same day the Russian president will hold talks with Pakistani leader Mamnoon Hussain. "The SCO summits, just like other summits, provide a good opportunity for holding bilateral contacts," Kremlin Aide for international issues Yuri Ushakov said. "This time we have planned a whole range of bilateral meetings." The Russian presidential aide pointed out that there would also be a trilateral meeting involving Russia, China and Mongolia. The contacts in this format began on September 11, 2014 in Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe on the sidelines of the SCO Council of Heads of State’s meeting. Last year, no such meeting was held. "We continue consultations on this meeting," Ushakov said, noting that "the meeting’s participants will mostly discuss economic issues." Ushakov added that the first trilateral meeting was initiated by Mongolia at a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State held in Dushanbe in September 2014. Russia, China and Mongolia reached an agreement then to hold such summits on a regular basis. This time, leaders of the three countries are expected to exchange views on ways to boost trilateral cooperation in various areas, the implementation of a road map on cooperation and a program to establish a Russia-Mongolia-China economic corridor. Bilateral meetings At the meeting between Putin and Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga, the sides plan to exchange views on vital regional and international issues and pay attention to the Russian-Mongolian cooperation in multilateral organizations and boosting cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and the SCO. Speaking on Putin’s meeting with President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain, Ushakov said one of the most important areas of cooperation is countering terrorism. In particular, Russia is providing assistance to Pakistan in enhancing its counter-terrorism potential. At the meeting with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Putin is scheduled to exchange views on topical international issues. The Kremlin aide said Russia and Tajikistan have similar positions in the framework of integration associations and international organizations such as the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. During the meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Putin plans to pay special attention to the issues of fighting against international terrorism. Putin also plans to discuss with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani a range of issues of regional agenda, including the situation around the Iran nuclear deal and also the preparations for the 5th Caspian Summit. Read more