ASTANA: Russian President Vladimir Putin told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday that relations between Beijing and Moscow were stronger than ever before.

The pair met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana – a regional political and economic bloc that the two leaders see as a counterweight to US “hegemony” in international affairs.

Putin hailed the group as “strengthening its role as one of the key pillars of a fair multipolar world order” in opening remarks of a meeting with Xi that were published on Russian state TV.

Alongside Russia and China, four Central Asian states, India, Iran and Pakistan are members of the SOC.

Putin to meet Xi and Erdogan at SCO summit in Kazakhstan

Beijing has become Moscow’s key political and economic partner since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a raft of Western sanctions.

“Russian-Chinese relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are experiencing their best period in history,” Putin said.

In his brief opening comments, Xi called Putin his “old friend” and said Sino-Russian relations were at a “high level.”

“In the face of the turbulent international situation and external environment, the two sides should continue to uphold the original aspiration of friendship for generations to come,” Xi said.