Putin arrives in Kazakhstan for Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit

This visit marks Putin's latest trip abroad since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him. At the same time, Kazakhstan has not ratified the Rome Statute, which would oblige the country to detain the dictator.

Putin will hold bilateral meetings on July 3 with Chinese President Xi Jinping, his colleagues from Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ilham Aliyev, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, as well as with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to the Russian media, an informal dinner will be held on the evening of July 3 in Tokayev's honor, to which, in addition to the heads of the SCO delegations, the heads of the delegations of Azerbaijan, Qatar, Mongolia, the UAE, and Turkiye have been invited.

The main program of the SCO summit will be held on July 4.

On the same day, the Russian dictator will meet with acting Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber.

According to the news agency, on July 3, for the first time, a meeting will be held in the SCO+ format, among others, the ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, and the chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, will be present. The heads of the executive bodies of the UN, CSTO, CIS, EurAsEC, CICA and OECD are also scheduled to attend.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Children's Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on March 17, 2023. They are accused of illegally abducting children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation since Feb. 24, 2022. The suspects can be arrested in 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute.

In addition to Kazakhstan, China, India, Belarus, and Turkiye have not signed the document. Russia, like the United States, signed the statute, but later withdrew its signature.