Russia: Putin welcomes world leaders for 15th SCO meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to the final day of the seventh BRICS summit before attending a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Ufa, Thursday. Putin, Sharif, Lukashenko and Rouhani are expected to meet with other leaders of the BRICS countries along with several other world leaders who are in Ufa to attend the SCO summit. The 15th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO is held from July 9 to 10 and follows the BRICS summit in the city. In total, 10,000 visitors are expected at the two events.