Putin to arrive in Astana in the afternoon
It is worthwhile noting that Vladimir Putin will participate in a regular meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana to be held on June 8-9.
According to the Kremlin press service, Vladimir Putin will hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of several states and take part in the opening ceremony of Expo 2017 exhibition.
Recall that during the summit the participants are to discuss the SCO current activities and make the decision important for the Organization, namely granting the full membership status to India and Pakistan.
They will also discuss various aspects of cooperation within the SCO on ensuring regional security, intensifying the trade and economic cooperation and promoting humanitarian ties. Moreover, the attendants will exchange their views on the current international issues.
Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In 2015 and 2016, it was Uzbekistan that presided over the SCO. The procedure of India and Pakistan accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be completed in Astana during the current summit.
As we earlier reported, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping also arrived at the summit.