Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have concluded talks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, as leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
World leaders have arrived at the Bishkek Arena for the opening of the World Nomad Games. Among them, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, who were greeted by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and First Lady Aigul Japarova.
The opening ceremony coincides with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kyrgyzstan, with several heads of state and senior officials attending both events.
The 6th World Nomad Games will bring together athletes from more than 100 countries, celebrating the nomadic heritage and cultural traditions of Eurasia.
The opening ceremony will be held in the Bishkek Arena with most competitions being held in the Issyk‑Kul region, including Cholpon‑Ata and Kyrchyn Gorge.
The World Nomad Games bring together athletes, hunters, horsemen and craftspeople from 89 nations. World leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meetings will also attend the opening ceremony.
Vietnam has signalled its intention to deepen cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) following talks between Vice-President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev in Bishkek ahead of the bloc's summit.
The discussions focused on expanding collaboration in areas including security, counterterrorism, digital transformation, technology, education and trade.
Vietnam also highlighted its willingness, as an ASEAN member, to help strengthen links between the SCO and Southeast Asia.
Egypt has expressed interest in expanding practical cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) following talks between Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Eissa and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev in Bishkek ahead of the bloc's annual summit.
According to the SCO, discussions focused on areas including economic development, transport, energy, education, tourism and counterterrorism.
The two sides also exchanged views on the planned SCO Development Bank, with Egypt highlighting the importance of innovative financing mechanisms. Both parties reaffirmed their interest in deepening dialogue and exploring new areas of cooperation.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan have discussed strengthening peace and normalising relations during talks in Bishkek.
The leaders highlighted progress since the August 2025 Washington Peace Summit, including increased trade and transit links, border delimitation and plans to advance the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are meeting in Bishkek as they gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the SCO summit in Bishkek, according to Asian News International (ANI) news agency.
It is the leaders’ first meeting in two years.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan are due to meet in Bishkek shortly. Both leaders are in Kyrgyzstan to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation events.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres have discussed international issues, climate initiatives and Kyrgyzstan’s upcoming term on the UN Security Council in 2027–2028.
The talks took place in Bishkek during Guterres’ visit for the SCO Plus meeting and World Nomad Games.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has praised the growing ties between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, saying relations have reached the level of an “alliance”.
In a message to Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov marking the country’s 35th anniversary of independence, Aliyev said his recent state visit had laid the foundation for “a new chapter” in bilateral relations.
“My recent state visit to your hospitable country demonstrated our nations’ determination to pursue close partnership and an extensive agenda of cooperation, laying the foundation for a new chapter in the history of Azerbaijan-Kyrgyzstan relations,” President Ilham Aliyev said in his letter.
President Ilham Aliyev has arrived in Kyrgyzstan on a working visit to attend events of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. He and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were welcomed at Manas International Airport by Kyrgyz officials.
Azerbaijan is an active partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), maintaining broad co-operation with the group on security, trade, transport and other areas.
Azerbaijan became an SCO dialogue partner in 2016 and applied in 2024 to upgrade its status to observer. President Ilham Aliyev has participated in several SCO summits, attending as an honorary guest in Uzbekistan in 2022 and taking part in summits in Kazakhstan in 2024 and China in 2025.
Aliyev is now participating in the SCO+ meeting in Bishkek, held on 31 August and 1 September alongside the main summit.
Azerbaijan’s co-operation with SCO members covers regional security, counterterrorism, the fight against organised and cybercrime, trade and investment, energy, agriculture and telecommunications. The country also works with SCO members on customs and legal co-operation, as well as culture, education, science, healthcare and tourism.
Transport connectivity is a particular focus. Azerbaijan promotes the development of transregional multimodal corridors, including the East-West and North-South routes, which strengthen links between Asia, Europe and other markets and increase the country’s transit role.
Co-operation also includes emergency response and efforts to promote multiculturalism, tolerance and intercivilisational dialogue.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political and security grouping established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
It has since expanded to 10 members, with India and Pakistan joining in 2017, Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
The SCO aims to strengthen political and economic co-operation, promote regional peace and security, and deepen ties between its members. Its agenda includes security, counterterrorism, trade, energy, transport and regional development.
The organisation also includes a wider group of partner countries, including Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
The SCO has become an important forum for China, Russia, India and Iran to engage with each other and with other countries across Eurasia.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a treaty on permanent good-neighbourliness, friendship and co-operation on Monday, further strengthening ties between the two countries, according to CGTN.
The agreement was signed during Xi’s state visit to Kyrgyzstan, where he is attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is due to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and SCO Plus meeting, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Pezeshkian is also expected to hold talks with the leaders of Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan and Tajikistan, and attend the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games.
Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the “unprecedented” development in China-Kyrgyzstan ties during a bilaterial meeting with President Sadyr Japarov ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
Xi highlighted expanding co-operation and major projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, saying they are benefiting both countries and supporting regional stability and prosperity.
The summit brings together leaders and senior officials from across Eurasia as the SCO marks its 25th anniversary, with security, trade, connectivity and regional development high on the agenda.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing was making every effort to locate people missing after a mudslide near the Tibet-Nepal border crossing, state media reported.
Xi made the remarks during talks with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek, where he is on a state visit.
The World Nomad Games officially begin on Monday, with several SCO summit leaders expected to attend the opening ceremony.
About 3,000 athletes from more than 110 countries are due to compete.
Authorities have deployed more than 15,000 police officers and introduced traffic restrictions in Bishkek as the city prepares for large crowds and visiting delegations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, where he is currently holding an extended meeting with President Sadyr Japarov.
Xi arrived in Bishkek on Sunday to attend the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, with Egypt also included in his regional tour.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation begins a two-day major summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday, bringing together leaders and high-level representatives from across Eurasia, including from Russia, Iran and China.
The meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State is scheduled for 1 September and comes as the organisation marks 25 years since its establishment. Over the past quarter-century, the SCO has expanded cooperation in politics, security, trade and regional development.
This year’s summit is expected to focus heavily on security challenges, including terrorism, transnational crime, cyber threats and information security.
Leaders are also set to discuss economic cooperation, transport corridors and stronger connectivity across Eurasia. Digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), energy, climate adaptation and the green transition are also expected to feature on the agenda.
The summit will also provide an opportunity to assess the early implementation of the SCO Development Strategy for 2026–2035.
With geopolitical competition intensifying, the Bishkek meeting will test how effectively the organisation can turn political consensus into practical cooperation.
The summit programme also includes participation in the World Nomad Games (WNG), a major cultural and sporting event showcasing traditional nomadic heritage. Leaders and delegations attending the SCO gathering are expected to take part in related events during their visit to Bishkek.
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