International Conference Kicks Off in China, Attended by Putin and Modi

The Austrian Press Agency (APA), a significant news provider in Austria, will be observing the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, scheduled to take place in Tianjin, China, from Sunday.

As the largest national news and press agency in Austria, APA is owned by a combination of Austrian daily newspapers and the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF). Based in Vienna, it is not a government agency but a private one, owned by Austrian newspapers and the ORF.

The SCO, established 24 years ago as an organization for counter-terrorism and economic cooperation, includes member states China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. The organisation also has observer states Mongolia and Afghanistan, dialogue partners Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Maldives, Myanmar, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. Guest participants include Turkmenistan, ASEAN, CIS, Collective Security Treaty Organization, and Eurasian Economic Union.

The first day of the summit will consist of bilateral meetings among member representatives. Xi Jinping, the President and Communist Party leader of China, is expected to deliver speeches and make announcements at the summit. He is also expected to host a banquet during the event.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend the summit, and may hold talks with Xi Jinping on the sidelines.

The SCO currently comprises 10 member states: Russia, China, Kazakhstan, India, Pakistan, Iran (since 2023), and Belarus (since 2024). The summit in Tianjin is expected to be the largest in the SCO's history, with representatives from 20 countries and 10 organizations in attendance.

APA, as a news agency, will provide coverage of the event, bringing the latest news and press content from the SCO summit to its readers in Austria and beyond.