Xi and Putin stress cooperation at Kyrgyzstan summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized cooperation during a meeting in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on Monday.

Putin said their partnership was developing successfully in economic and all other respects. The meeting came as Moscow faced economic pressure from Western sanctions imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine.

"We are implementing major projects in the energy sector, industry, space, transport and logistics," Putin said. "Given the current complex geopolitical situation, the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China is a model for interstate relations," he added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television that the war in Ukraine had played little role in the meeting, which had focused on bilateral relations.

Peskov said discussions had centred on trade and economic issues, "which, for understandable reasons, are of course not discussed publicly."

China has come under criticism from the EU, Ukraine and the United States for selling to Russia by evading sanctions. Russia sells oil and gas to China.

Kyrgyzstan is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union and is hosting the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), an association of states friendly toward China and Russia.

Putin said that the SCO, which was initiated by China and Russia, had developed into a full-fledged international organization. Xi, according to the Russian translation, said that the SCO was making an important contribution to stability and development in the region.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has repeatedly called for an end to the war, also attended the summit.

The SCO, which was founded as a platform for combating terrorism, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

On Tuesday, Putin is scheduled to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.