Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China used the July 3-4 Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Astana, Kazakhstan to strengthen their bilateral cooperation, as well as the role of the SCO in building a new security and development architecture along with the BRICS, the EAEU, and other multilateral organizations.
In a July 3 bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the summit, Putin reminded Xi, according to the Kremlin website, that “our countries stood at the cradle of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in 2001. As the number of participants grew—and tomorrow Belarus will become another full member of the organization—the SCO also gained a bigger role as one of the key pillars of a just multipolar world order.”
Putin added: “We have repeatedly stated with good reason that Russia-China relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are going through the best period in their history. They are guided by the principles of equality, mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty. Our cooperation is not directed against anyone. We do not create any blocs or alliances; we are simply acting in the interests of our people.” And he emphasized that “Russian-Chinese cooperation in global affairs serves as a main stabilizing factor on the international stage, and we continue to further enhance it.”
