World leaders send birthday greetings to Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin received birthday greetings from a number of world leaders, including a telephone call with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

During the call, Putin and Lukashenko agreed to continue discussing bilateral cooperation between their two countries as well as the broader international situation. The conversation was described as taking place alongside preparations for a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Turkmenistan, a regional grouping of several former Soviet states that coordinates on economic and political matters.

Birthday greetings exchanged between heads of state are a routine diplomatic courtesy, though the content of accompanying discussions, such as the Putin-Lukashenko call, can offer insight into ongoing areas of cooperation between allied governments. Russia and Belarus maintain close political, economic and military ties, and the two leaders have communicated frequently throughout the war in Ukraine and related regional developments.

Details on which other world leaders extended greetings, and the content of any other related exchanges, were not specified in available reporting.

The CIS summit in Turkmenistan is expected to bring together leaders from participating member states to discuss regional cooperation.