During three days, Putin makes a state visit to mainly Tajikistan, where he also meets several regional leaders.
The Russian contacts and trade relations with countries in the former Soviet empire in Central Asia have gained great importance after the full-scale Russian invasion war in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions from mainly Western countries.
Initially, Putin will meet Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon in the capital Dushanbe. Later, leaders from additional countries in the former Soviet sphere will meet: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Later, representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Belarus will also be included in a more comprehensive meeting.
The countries are part of a loosely composed association consisting of former Soviet countries.
The 73-year-old Rahmon has been in power in Tajikistan for nearly 33 years. He took the power position after a brutal civil war when the Soviet Union dissolved, and ensured that all opposition in the country was suppressed. At the same time, Tajikistan has signed the International Criminal Court ICC's statutes, which means that the country is obliged to arrest the ICC-wanted Putin.
