Pashinyan to attend SCO summit in Samarkand as a guest

YEREVAN, September 9. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will travel to Samarkand in Uzbekistan to attend as a guest the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit slated for September 15-16, Armenpress reported citing the Facebook page of Sherzod Asadov, the press secretary of Uzbek President.

Fifteen heads of state are expected to attend the gathering.

"Next week, Samarkand will host a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states. The event will be the first face-to-face meeting of SCO leaders since 2019 and the termination of Uzbekistan's presidency of the organization," Asadov wrote.

He noted that during Uzbekistan's presidency in the SCO, the main emphasis was placed on strengthening trade and economic ties, developing industrial cooperation, as well as expanding transport and communication interconnectivity.

Besides Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the SCO summit will be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahboz Sharif, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurlsukh will attend the summit as observers.

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdymukhamedov will attend the SCO summit as guests. -0-