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Belarus strongman thanks Xi for backing at 'difficult time' by AFP Staff Writers Moscow (AFP) Sept 15, 2022 Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who has also been hit by Western sanctions, on Thursday thanked China for its support at "difficult times". Lukashenko met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a summit in ex-Soviet Uzbekistan. "You have always been not only a solid and reliable friend for us but a serious support in these difficult times," Lukashenko told Xi, according to Belarus state media. Belarus has been hit with a wave of Western penalties for acting as a launching pad for Russia's military operation in Ukraine and for a ferocious post-election crackdown in 2020. "You know as well as I do what times these are," Lukashenko -- often dubbed "Europe's last dictator" -- said, according to state news agency, Belta. "We have always supported China on all matters of principle. Such as economic growth, unity, integrity of China, the 'One China' policy," Belta quoted him as saying. "We are reliable friends. Whatever it may cost us," he added. Xi's visit to ex-Soviet Central Asia is his first trip abroad since the early days of the pandemic. For Putin, the summit is a chance to show Russia has not been fully isolated despite Western efforts. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), whose leaders convened in Uzbekistan for the summit, comprises China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the ex-Soviet Central Asian nations. It was set up in 2001 as a political, economic and security organisation to rival Western institutions. Belarus is an observer state.
Putin, Xi meet for high-stakes talks in challenge to West Samarkand, Uzbekistan (AFP) Sept 15, 2022 Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping gather with other Asian leaders in the ancient Silk Road city of Samarkand from Thursday for a regional summit touted as a challenge to Western global influence. Xi and Putin will be joined by the leaders of India, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran and several other countries for the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Uzbek city on Thursday and Friday. The main summit day will be Friday, but it is a meeting of the Russian and Chinese ... read more
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