The Kremlin on Wednesday confirmed that preparations are underway for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bilateral meetings during his visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

Responding to queries about a possible meeting between Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “We are currently preparing a schedule of bilateral meetings, which will be part of the events organised by our Chinese partners. Once finalised, we will provide details.”

The SCO Summit will take place in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1, with leaders from over 20 countries expected to attend. The SCO, founded in 2001 in Shanghai, includes China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus as members. Afghanistan and Mongolia are observer states, while 14 nations, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, participate as dialogue partners.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also travel to Tianjin at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping after completing his Japan visit later this week. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi is expected to hold several bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the Summit. India, which joined the SCO in 2017, previously held the presidency of the organisation from 2022 to 2023.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said preparations are ongoing for Modi’s bilateral engagements in Tianjin. Asked specifically about a possible Modi-Putin meeting, he said: “As with such events, several bilaterals are planned. Work is continuing to finalise them, and details will be shared once confirmed.”