First ladies join cultural program and river cruise in Tianjin

On September 1, cultural events were held in Tianjin, China, for the spouses of heads of state and government attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Plus meeting.

The program was hosted by Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who personally welcomed the guests. The first ladies posed for a group photo before taking part in a cultural exchange program, where they discussed the cultural heritage of their countries.

Following the program, the guests enjoyed a river cruise along the Haihe River on a special boat.

The event was attended by the spouses of the leaders of Nepal, Armenia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, as well as the daughter of the Iranian president.

The SCO summit was held in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, with over 20 heads of state and representatives of 10 international organisations participating. The summit concluded with the signing of 15 new cooperation agreements.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was established in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, initially bringing together Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.