ISTANBUL
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on Kazakhstan to create a state and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
Astana will host the 24th assembly of the SCO Council of Heads of State on Wednesday.
The SCO, established in 2001, aims to strengthen friendly and good-neighborly relations and mutual acceptance among member states.
The SCO is expected to expand with new members, as Belarus plans to register in the bloc as a full member.
Xi will also pay a state to Kazakhstan and then fly to Tajikistan on a similar trip.
His first visit to Central Asia is scheduled for July 6.
While Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the high-profile meeting.