Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's aircraft was the first to land in Almaty, the country's foreign ministry said.
Aliyev was followed by Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Russia President Vladimir Putin.
Formed in 1992 with the aim of increasing security in Asia, the group includes Russia and China as well as South, Southeast, and Central Asian countries. Israel, Egypt, and Turkey also are members.
(KazInform, ITAR-TASS)
Military Bases In Central Asia
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PROJECTING POWER: Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the onset of the war on terror, Central Asia has played an important role in military-security issues. At times, Russia and the West have clashed over questions related to military deployments. RFE/RL has provided extensive coverage of this increasingly important geopolitical matter.
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