Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli held bilateral meetings with heads of states and governments in Tianjin, China on Monday.

He held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday evening on the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin.

“Our discussions focused on further strengthening Nepal-Russia relations and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of culture, trade and investment,” Prime Minister Oli wrote on X after the meeting.

The prime minister earlier held bilateral meetings with leaders from various other countries.

He held a meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu earlier in the morning.

The prime minister’s secretariat said the talks focused on strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and investment, and exchanging high-level visits.

Prime Minister Oli proposed enhanced collaboration between Nepal and the Maldives on climate resilience, particularly focusing on safety and sustainability ‘from the mountains to the sea,’ according to the prime minister’s secretariat.

Nepali Congress Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka; Education, Science and Technology Minister Raghuji Pant; Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Badri Prasad Pandey; the prime minister’s economic and development advisor Yuba Raj Khatiwada; lawmaker Chhabilal Bishwakarma; and Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai were present during the meetings.

Similarly, Oli also held a bilateral meeting with the President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith.

On Sunday, Oli met Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and discussed ways to boost cooperation in diplomatic, economic and cultural areas.

He later attended a reception hosted by Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan, where he exchanged greetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The SCO and SCO Plus meetings, which began Sunday, bring together leaders from across Asia and beyond to discuss political, economic and security concerns.

Besides attending the SCO summit, the prime minister is scheduled to attend a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3 before leaving for Kathmandu.