PRESS RELEASE
Russian-Chinese Political Consultations
Political consultations between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Alexei Borodavkin and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Cheng Guoping were held on October 31 in Moscow.
During an in-depth exchange of views the parties coordinated their positions on the question of further improving the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the light of preparing for a meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government on November 7, 2011 in St. Petersburg and a SCO summit in the summer of 2012 in China.
The parties reiterated the readiness of Russia and China to interact effectively in questions of ensuring security and stability in the SCO region, of reinvigorating economic cooperation, primarily in the fields of transport, energy, science and technology, of financing joint projects and of furthering humanitarian ties within the framework of the Organization.
They spoke for accelerating the process of enlarging the SCO in furtherance of the decision of the SCO Council of Heads of State in June 2011 in Astana. It is about granting India and Pakistan membership in the Organization, admitting Afghanistan as observer to it and conferring dialogue partner status on Turkey.
The consultations were held in an atmosphere of complete mutual understanding and confidentiality intrinsic to the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership.
October 31, 2011
