President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has departed for the People’s Republic of China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, following an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The summit, which gathers leaders from across Eurasia, will see President Dr Muizzu join bilateral meetings with President Xi and other heads of state. He is also scheduled to address the SCO Plus session, where he will highlight the need for multilateral cooperation to confront shared challenges, including climate change, global economic instability, and rising geopolitical tensions.

Formed in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the SCO has grown into the world’s largest regional organisation in terms of geographic scope and population. The body now counts 10 full member states, with several more countries participating as observers or dialogue partners. The Maldives currently holds dialogue partner status.