NEW DELHI: Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his first international appearance after the mutiny by Wagner fighters, assured Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members that “the Russian people are consolidated as never before”.
“Russian political circles and the whole of society clearly demonstrated their unity and elevated sense of responsibility for the fate of the fatherland when they responded as a united front against an attempted armed mutiny,” he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged SCO leaders to “follow the right direction and enhance their solidarity and mutual trust”. Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif said the “hydra-headed monster” of terrorism and extremism, whether committed by “individuals, groups or at state level”, must be fought with full vigour and conviction, as he warned against using it for diplomatic point-scoring.
Of all the leaders who spoke, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was the most forthright. Recounting the successes of the SCO, he said in recent years, there was no significant movement and expected effectiveness in a number of directions of interaction within the SCO.