Russia hosts Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit

The 24th sco heads-of-state meeting took place on Monday and Tuesday, chaired by Russia and including representatives from Belarus, China, India and Iran. The leaders focused on improving trade relations and, as Belarussian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Lukashevich said, “creating an independent financial institution.” A Russia-led Asiatic bloc, referred to in the Bible as the kings of the east, is forming in real time.