SCO summit to be attended by 15 country leaders - Russian presidential aide Ushakov

MOSCOW. Sept 13 (Interfax) - Russia is among the 15 countries whose leaders will attend the first in-person summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand since the coronavirus pandemic started, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said.

"On September 15-16 the president will attend the next session of the SCO Council of Heads of State. I would like to stress in particular that this is the first in-person summit after a three-year pause caused by the coronavirus epidemic," Ushakov told journalists on Tuesday.

"For the first time in three years, the summit will take place fully offline with 15 leaders in attendance," he said.

They will include leaders of the eight SCO members (Russia, Uzbekistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan and Pakistan) and of the observer nations (Belarus, Iran and Mongolia), he said.

The leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan and Turkey will also arrive in Samarkand, he said.

"Note Turkey's participation. It is a NATO member but has shown great interest in the SCO, understanding that it is a really important regional platform for key decision-making on regional and international agendas," Ushakov said.

The summit's agenda will traditionally touch on issues concerning further boosting the SCO potential, security and stability, he said.

The attendees will "consider the launch of applications from certain countries for joining the SCO in varying status. [The attendees] will consider strengthening SCO economic ties, the development of transport connectivity, the strengthening of the SCO cultural-humanitarian dimension, the organization's work in a variety of areas," Ushakov said.

"Among regional topics, of course a special place in the discussion at the summit will be taken by the state of affairs in Afghanistan. This happens every time," he said.

The upcoming summit will be special in that it will be taking place against the backdrop of large-scale geopolitical changes, he said. "The whole complex of international ties, relations, politics, and economics is undergoing a fast and irreversible transformation," Ushakov said.