Putin's state visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China on June 5-6, the Kremlin press service said yesterday.

In Beijing, Putin will take part in a Heads of State Council meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO comprises six countries - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Putin is to visit Uzbekistan on June 4 and Kazakhstan on June 7.