This was previously announced by Kyrgyz President’s Press Secretary Askat Alagozov. The figure refers specifically to the heads of 21 states, including presidents, the President of China and prime ministers.

As of August 20, however, the presidential administration and the SCO Secretariat have not yet published the final list naming all 21 guests. Here is what is known so far.

The main meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO will be held in Bishkek on September 1. The organization’s official website confirms this date. The SCO currently comprises 10 member states: Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The main lineup of the summit is expected to be as follows:

Kyrgyzstan — Sadyr Japarov, President and host of the summit;

Belarus — Alexander Lukashenko, President;

India — Narendra Modi, Prime Minister;

Iran — Masoud Pezeshkian, President;

Kazakhstan — Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President;

China — Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China;

Pakistan — Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister;

Russia — Vladimir Putin, President;

Tajikistan — Emomali Rahmon, President;

Uzbekistan — Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President.

These are the 10 countries that currently make up the organization.Representatives of all ten countries participated in the July meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers in Cholpon-Ata, and the main topic was the meeting of heads of state in Bishkek.

Vladimir Putin’s participation was discussed separately at the presidential level. On April 23, during a meeting with the Russian leader, Sadyr Japarov invited him to attend the SCO summit in Bishkek on August 31—September 1. The Russian side confirmed its readiness to continue active cooperation within the organization.

Lukashenko expected at both the summit and the opening of the World Nomad Games

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is also expected to visit Kyrgyzstan. In June, during a meeting with Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin, Sadyr Japarov said he expected Lukashenko to attend both the SCO summit and the opening ceremony of the VI World Nomad Games.

Mirziyoyev invited to several major events

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been invited to attend the SCO summit and the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games. Sadyr Japarov confirmed the invitation following talks with the Uzbek leader in late July.

Egypt among guests from outside the 10 SCO member states

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has also been invited to Bishkek. Sadyr Japarov personally invited the Egyptian leader to visit Kyrgyzstan on an official visit and attend three events: the SCO summit, the VI World Nomad Games and celebrations marking Kyrgyzstan’s Independence Day.

Egypt is an SCO dialogue partner but is not among the organization’s 10 full member states.

Another confirmed guest is the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

During a meeting between the two leaders, Sadyr Japarov invited him to attend the SCO summit and to be an honorary guest at the VI World Nomad Games.

China: Xi Jinping will make a state visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Kyrgyzstan on a state visit and attend the SCO summit. Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Jeenbek Kulubaev announced this during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Cholpon-Ata. The Chinese leader is expected to arrive in Kyrgyzstan on August 31.

Guterres accepted the invitation but is not among the 21 heads of state

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is also expected in Bishkek.

Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry said Guterres had accepted Sadyr Japarov’s invitation to attend the upcoming SCO summit. However, he cannot be included among the «21 heads of state» because he heads an international organization rather than a country.

So where did the figure 21 come from?

It is important to distinguish between the two events. The SCO summit and the opening of the World Nomad Games will take place in Bishkek almost simultaneously. The opening ceremony of the Games is scheduled for August 31, while the meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held on September 1.

Askat Alagozov was referring specifically to the fact that, in connection with these events, the heads of 21 states are expected to visit Kyrgyzstan at the same time. Some of them are also expected to make state visits and travel with their First Ladies.

Some guests will arrive as leaders of SCO member states, some for SCO+ events, while others may combine participation in international meetings with attendance at the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games.

Kyrgyzstan has also invited the leaders of the Organization of Turkic States member states to attend the World Nomad Games as honorary guests. However, there has been no official confirmation of each leader’s participation yet.

As of August 20, ten SCO member states have been confirmed, along with official invitations to the leaders of Egypt and Turkmenistan. The Kyrgyz presidential administration has not yet publicly announced the final list of all heads of state who will actually arrive from August 30 to September 1.

It is expected to be announced closer to the start of the summit, once the visits of foreign delegations are finally confirmed.