Russia turns to Asian allies

Dmitri Medvedev has turned to Asian allies for support in the Georgia crisis as the G7 condemned Moscow.

Dmitri Medvedev, left, shakes hands with the Tajik president, Emomali Rakhmon, in Dushanbe on Wednesday.

The Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, has turned to Asian allies for support in the Georgia crisis as the Group of Seven condemned Moscow in a stand-off that is stoking fears of a new Cold War. Mr Medvedev joined the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, and leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, set up in 2001 to counter Nato influence in Central Asia. "The main agenda will be ensuring stability and security in the SCO area. There will be a focus on counter terrorism, drugs and transnational crime from Afghanistan," a Kremlin official said before the talks.