Envoy stresses importance of upcoming meeting between Rouhani, Putin

Iranian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Ali Najafi said that the upcoming meeting between Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Bishkek will be of great significance for both countries. Najafi pointed to Iran and Russia as two influential countries in regional and international arenas, and added that the first meeting of the two presidents will be held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit slated for September 13 in Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. “During his visit to Kyrgyzstan, President Rouhani will address the summit and hold talks with senior officials of the participating countries including his Kyrgyz and Chinese counterparts,” Najafi said. Iran, Afghanistan, India, Mongolia, and Pakistan have an observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an intergovernmental organization which was founded by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan in 2001.