Putin Arrives In Kyrgyzstan For Regional Security Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) shakes hands with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Sooronbai Jeenbekov, during a welcoming ceremony in Bishkek on November 28.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kyrgyzstan to take part in discussions on international and regional security issues with five other heads of state.

The event's chairman, Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, greeted Putin at the airport on November 28 in advance of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit, which will also have the leaders of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan in attendance.

During the event, Putin is expected to outline the CSTO's priorities, as Russia is the group's next president in the upcoming year.

Twenty-one issues relating to various fields are on the agenda in Bishkek, Daniyar Sidikov, head of the foreign-policy department of the Kyrgyz presidential administration, said at a news conference.

He said participants of the CSTO's supreme decision-making body, the Collective Security Council, will discuss issues related to securing the Tajik-Afghan border, cooperation with the UN on implementing the Global Counterterrorism Strategy, and coordinating the foreign-policy activities of CSTO members.

Also on the agenda is boosting the group's collective defense capability, including information security.

Based on reporting by Armenpress, Interfax, and TASS