To meet each other: the SCO summit demonstrates the futility of Western sanctions pressure

The SCO summit in Bishkek should demonstrate the inability of the West to impose its will on the Eurasian bloc, even through geopolitical escalation and sanctions pressure, experts interviewed by Izvestia noted. On the first day of his visit to Kyrgyzstan, Vladimir Putin discussed the current agenda with key Asian partners Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi and Kassym—Jomart Tokayev. The presence of Iranian President Masoud Peseshkian in Bishkek, in a situation where the United States is threatening sanctions against all of Tehran's partners, has emphasized that it is not possible to isolate any country in the emerging multipolarity. And the participation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the summit proved that even those who try to publicly drift towards the West cannot ignore the Eurasian vector of cooperation. Other observations of Izvestia correspondents from Bishkek can be found in our report.

Who did Vladimir Putin negotiate with?

For two days, on August 31 and September 1, the capital of Kyrgyzstan turned into the main diplomatic arena of Eurasia. Bishkek, decorated with interactive greeting panels in the languages of a dozen countries, is hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. One by one, the leaders arrived at Manas International Airport. Vladimir Putin has arrived with an extremely eventful visit. He was greeted with traditional Oriental hospitality: right at the head of the plane, the Russian president tasted freshly baked borscht with honey and received a snow leopard figurine as a gift.

This year's summit is special — the SCO is celebrating its 25th anniversary. For a quarter of a century, the organization has gone from a regional format for building trust on borders to one of the key centers of a multipolar world, uniting almost half of the world's population and the largest economies of Eurasia.

Dozens of heads of state and key international structures who have gathered in Bishkek these days traditionally enjoy the opportunity to communicate with each other face-to-face. On the very first day, the Russian President held talks with key Asian partners — Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The leaders apparently coordinated the agenda before the official opening of the summit. All meetings showed the trusting nature of the relationship. Putin once again called the Chinese leader a "dear friend." And in a conversation with Modi, he noted the warm, friendly nature of the contacts. The heads of state also agreed to see each other again at the September BRICS summit in New Delhi.

In the economy, the key SCO countries are united by steady positive dynamics. Vladimir Putin noted a 34 percent increase in agricultural supplies and the launch of the first regular container flight from China along the Northern Sea Route. The trade turnover with India also increased 2.6% in the first half of the year, and the key task of the parties was the diversification and development of settlements in national currencies.

The development of trade and economic cooperation is impossible without deepening humanitarian ties. The real sensation of the meeting with Xi Jinping was Vladimir Putin's proposal to make the recently introduced visa-free regime permanent. Moscow is still discussing the prospects of a group visa-free regime with New Delhi.

According to Alexander Korolev, a political scientist and Deputy director of the Central Committee of the National Research University of Higher School of Economics, the most likely practical results of the meetings of the Russian leader could be agreements on maximum simplification of entry procedures for business representatives. Progress on the Power of Siberia–2 gas pipeline project is also possible. At the same time, the most concrete solutions can be fixed in negotiations with Kazakhstan: we are talking about a set of measures to protect the infrastructure of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), as well as a possible increase in gasoline imports from Kazakhstan to Russia.

The role of the SCO Summit today

As for geopolitics, in a conversation, for example, with Xi Jinping, international crises were practically not touched upon. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Ukrainian issue passed only "tangentially." However, the Chinese leader emphasized the SCO's role as the main stabilizing factor in modern geopolitical realities.

Narendra Modi stressed that India supports all peace efforts on the Ukrainian track and stands for resolving any problems exclusively through diplomatic means. Russia welcomes the efforts of any country that is able to contribute to the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, Dmitry Peskov said, answering a question from an Izvestia columnist.

It is impossible to separate the SCO from another international conflict, especially after Washington's recent threats to impose weekly sanctions against Tehran's partners, that is, in fact, all members of the organization. Therefore, the visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Bishkek added a special nerve to the event. However, his presence surrounded by key Eurasian players only emphasized that it is not possible to "isolate" Tehran in the conditions of emerging multipolarity.

Unlike last year's summit in Tianjin, this meeting is taking place against a backdrop of direct military escalation involving Iran and the United States. Accordingly, Tehran uses the platform to consolidate diplomatic support for the Global South and not only against the United States specifically, but against pressure from the entire West, stated Alexander Korolev.

Nikol Pashinyan's visit attracted special attention. Despite the provocative statements about the EAEU coming from Yerevan, the Armenian Prime Minister arrived at the venue where most of the leaders of this union are represented. The Bishkek summit proves once again that even those who publicly try to drift towards the West cannot ignore the Eurasian vector and the key economic routes of the region.

As noted by political scientist Tatiana Kosacheva, Russia and its partners are not just looking for ways to overcome barriers, but are forming a fundamentally new architecture of international economic relations, where energy, logistics corridors and technologies are becoming the backbone of a multipolar world.

World Nomad Games

Vladimir Putin's schedule of bilateral meetings was diluted by his participation in the ceremonial launch of the VI World Nomad Games, which will last until September 6. At the invitation of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, the Russian president, along with other leaders, moved to the stands of the new Bishkek Arena stadium.

The idea of hosting the World Nomad Games originated in Kyrgyzstan in the early 2010s and has since grown into a unique international brand. For the host country, these competitions are a key image project designed to demonstrate to the world the richness of national culture, develop ethnosports, tourism and strengthen the cultural framework of Eurasia.

The opening ceremony turned out to be grandiose — journalists from dozens of countries even compared it to the Olympics on the sidelines. Surrounded by thousands of spectators, the heads of state launched the tournament, and then witnessed a spectacular show program.

The joint presence of the leaders at the ceremony is not so much a matter of protocol as proof: the strategic partnership of the countries of the region is based not only on pragmatic economic calculations, but also on a deep community of historical and cultural heritage.

The scale of the competition is impressive: the program includes 43 disciplines. The audience will enjoy exciting tournaments in traditional archery, hunting with hunting birds and falcons, as well as ancient intellectual games, such as Turkish barbecue, where players move stones on a special board with holes. It will not do without spectacular equestrian disciplines. Among them are the legendary kok—boru, in which riders wage an uncompromising struggle for the carcass of a goat, and the romantic game kyz-kuumai, a chase in which a young rider tries to catch up with a girl on a horse in order to receive a cherished kiss.

The main sports program will unfold on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, where about 3,000 athletes from more than 100 countries will compete for medals. Our country is represented by over 230 athletes from 33 regions of the Russian Federation. Russian ethnosport has good prospects — Russia is ready to host the World Nomad Games in 2028, President Sadyr Japarov said at the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games. According to him, Kyrgyzstan has received an official letter about plans to host the seventh Games in Tatarstan.