Russia the central stage for key diplomatic week

World
Europe

Vladimir Putin focused on domestic matters when inaugurated a fortnight ago, but over the next few days, Russia will be the stage for intense global diplomacy as world leaders arrive to discuss a range of issues with the fight to save the Iran nuclear deal high on the agenda.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Sochi, the Black Sea resort, on Monday for "informal" talks with President Putin, hot on the heels of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Read more:

Putin and Merkel seek common cause

Merkel targets multilateralism on China visit

The Syrian, German and Indian leaders will be followed to Russia by Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, French President Emmanuel Macron and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as they take part in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) from Thursday.

The whirlwind of diplomacy comes as the US withdrawal from multilateral mechanisms, most recently from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), forges common interests for Europe and Russia after several years of tension.

Europe and Russia

Merkel held talks with Putin in Sochi on Friday that focused on the Iran nuclear deal and the planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Germany and Russia are among the remaining signatories of the JCPOA – along with China, Britain and France – and have both committed to keeping it alive, despite the US pullout.

President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Sochi on May 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

Merkel told Putin that the Middle East situation had been complicated by the US withdrawal, according to a statement from the German federal government.

A senior Iranian official is due to meet EU representatives in Vienna on Monday, meanwhile, following on from Foreign Minister Javad Zarif 's trips to China, Russia and Brussels last week.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would create a direct gas supply from Russia to Germany, has also been opposed by the US. Berlin intends to press ahead despite pressure from Washington.

Joseph Janning, head of the Berlin office of the European Council for Foreign Relations, told the Independent: “Merkel wanted to let Washington know that Germany does not wholly depend on the US for international issues.”

Merkel is due to arrive in China on Thursday, for a two-day visit in which she has said she aims to strengthen multilateralism.

Iran, Syria and the DPRK

Putin, Macron, Wang and Abe are expected to attend the plenary meeting of the SPIEF, along with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde.

The US government will not send a delegation but Washington's ambassador to Moscow, Jon Huntsman, will attend despite canceling scheduled speaking engagements. He had been penciled in to participate in a panel including billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, an oligarch under American sanctions and recently linked to payments to President Donald Trump’s lawyer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference at Versailles, near Paris, May 29, 2017. /VCG Photo

Macron and Putin will discuss the Iran deal, Syria and Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Friday. Abe and the Russian president will discuss economic cooperation on disputed Pacific islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, as well as global security issues, a Japanese government spokesperson stated.

Although the Chinese leader's detailed schedule has not yet been uncovered, its Foreign Ministry said China is looking to push the China - Russia partnership to the next level.

The consequences of the US pullout will also be on the agenda when OPEC secretary general Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo takes to the stage on May 25 at SPIEF 2018.

Events in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will also be closely watched, with the dismantling of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site scheduled to take place between Wednesday and Friday depending on weather conditions. Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in is due in Washington for talks with Trump on Tuesday, meanwhile.

Modi in Sochi

Modi and Putin are to meet for several hours of "agenda-less" talks on Monday, the Times of India reported, but officials told the newspaper discussions on bilateral relations are expected to be limited with global issues taking the lead.

The economic impact of US withdrawal from the JCPOA, the situations in Afghanistan and Syria, international terrorism and the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Qingdao, China are likely to be discussed.