Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will host leaders from China and Central Asia Monday at the summit of a regional grouping, The Associated Press reported. Afghanistan is likely to get close attention at the two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg. The group links China and Russia with four former Soviet republics close to Afghanistan. But Medvedev is also expected to meet on the sidelines Monday with the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran has observer status in the group. The Shanghai group summit ends Tuesday is followed by an evening summit of the BRIC economic group comprising Russia, China, India and Brazil.
