International affairs will take center stage for Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 1. While he usually marks Knowledge Day with schoolchildren or university students—giving open lessons and interacting with youth—this year, his schedule is filled with high-level political engagements.
Putin’s day begins early with events at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, but the bulk of his time will be devoted to an intense round of bilateral talks that began the previous day. According to presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, at least five one-on-one meetings are planned: with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as brief conversations with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Nepali Prime Minister Sharma Oli.
Putin will first meet Modi—marking their first in-person meeting this year, though they’ve spoken regularly by phone. The discussion will focus on preparations for Putin’s upcoming visit to New Delhi in December, along with strengthening the privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India.
The next scheduled meeting is with Erdoğan, another inaugural face-to-face encounter in 2025 for the leaders of Russia and Turkey, though they frequently exchange calls as needed. Topics will include various aspects of bilateral cooperation and, as Ushakov suggested, Ukraine will almost certainly be on the agenda. He noted Turkey’s central role in facilitating political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, including hosting direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, which Russia greatly appreciates. The broader Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus are expected to be discussed as well.
Another key meeting is with Iranian President Pezeshkian—Russia’s long-standing and trusted partner—with the situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program one of the subjects.
Putin's busy day doesn’t end there. Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said the president used the opening events of the SCO summit to engage informally with many fellow leaders and prime ministers, lining up further contacts for the rest of the day. Meetings with the prime ministers of Cambodia and Nepal will be brief and informal, and more talks may follow.
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Photo: sco-russia2020.ru/Creative Commons 4.0
Based on TASS materials