Lavrov travelled to China from North Korea, where he visited the city of Wonsan. Prior to that, he attended ASEAN ministerial events in Malaysia from 10 to 11 July.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the SCO ministerial meeting will take place in Tianjin on 14–15 July. The meeting is considered a key stage in preparations for the organisation’s summit, scheduled to be held from 30 August to 1 September.
Lavrov is also expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the event.
The SCO was founded in 2001 and includes India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan. Observer countries include Afghanistan and Mongolia, while partner countries are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, the UAE, Türkiye, and Sri Lanka. In July 2024, at the SCO summit in Kazakhstan, Belarus became a full member of the organisation.