PM Shehbaz likely to meet Putin on sidelines of SCO

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is likely to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China, official sources confirmed on Wednesday. According to sources, the meeting between the two leaders has been finalised through diplomatic channels and is scheduled to take place during the multilateral summit. The agenda is expected to include strengthening Pakistan-Russia bilateral relations, regional security issues, and consultations on key global matters. PM Shehbaz is also scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and other leaders on the sidelines of the SCO summit. The premier will depart for China on August 30.