Kremlin hails importance of Putin-Xi meeting in Samarkand
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin has hailed the significance of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, noting it’s particularly important amid the tensions with the West. Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that the two leaders are scheduled to meet Thursday in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of a summit of a security pact dominated by Moscow and Beijing. Ushakov told reporters Tuesday that “the meeting has a special significance in view of the current international situation.” The talks between Putin and Xi follow their meeting in February, when the Russian leader attended the opening of the Beijing Olympics shortly before sending troops into Ukraine.