Mirziyoyev to meet Putin during visit to China

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in China, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov announced.

According to Ushakov, following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Russian leader will hold a series of bilateral talks, including one with Mirziyoyev, during which issues of strengthening cooperation will be discussed.

Mirziyoyev is visiting China on August 30–September 3 at the invitation of Xi Jinping. During his visit, the Uzbek president will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State meeting and the “SCO Plus” summit in Tianjin.

The agenda includes expanding multilateral cooperation in priority areas and further improving the organization’s activities. The meetings are expected to conclude with the Tianjin Declaration and the signing of joint documents and decisions aimed at developing cooperation in security, the digital economy, green industry, energy, tourism, and other sectors.

On September 2, Mirziyoyev will hold talks with Xi Jinping in Beijing and meet senior Chinese officials and heads of leading Chinese companies. The discussions will focus on strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China and expanding practical cooperation.

On September 3, the Uzbek president will also attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II.

According to China’s official Xinhua News Agency, leaders and heads of government from 26 countries are expected to take part in the Beijing commemorations.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is among the first foreign leaders scheduled to arrive in China.

The celebrations in Beijing will also be attended by leaders of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, the Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Serbia, Slovakia, Cuba, and Myanmar.

China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression—also known as the Second Sino-Japanese War—began with Japan’s invasion of Manchuria in 1931. It escalated into a full-scale war in 1937 and ended in 1945 with Japan’s surrender and the conclusion of World War II. China played a major role in defeating fascism by tying down Japanese forces for years and helping form the international anti-fascist front.

Mirziyoyev and Putin last met on June 27 on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Minsk, where they also discussed the situation in Ukraine, according to Russian media. The two leaders spoke again by phone on July 8 and August 17, when they discussed key international and bilateral issues. During their August 17 conversation, Putin briefed Mirziyoyev on the outcomes of the Russia-U.S. summit held in Anchorage on August 15.