VLADIVOSTOK, September 6. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand on September 15-16 making important international contacts, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"Indeed, Putin is planning to take part in the SCO summit in Samarkand, we are expecting an extremely important and representative event, in a way, a unique one. And, indeed, Putin has a whole range of very important international contacts planned there," the Kremlin official said. He added that preparations for the summit are underway.

The SCO summit is scheduled for September 15-16. Currently, the SCO includes India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Observer states are Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia while Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka are partner states. Additionally, lately, many countries expressed interest in joining the SCO.