Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi, Moscow, May 26, 2017

Mr Minister,

Friends,

We are happy to welcome you as part of the visit, which began yesterday with a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. It was confirmed once again that the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with the PRC was the Russian Federation’s key foreign policy priority.

Our relations are an example of interstate ties based on the principles of partnership, trust and mutual consideration for each other’s interests. The results showed a breakthrough in the sphere of practical cooperation which was made possible due to the five meetings held between the two heads of state last year. Earlier on this month, Beijing hosted the extremely successfully Belt and Road Forum, on the sidelines of which President Vladimir Putin and PRC President Xi Jinping held talks. Since early 2017, Russia was visited by Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang, Director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Li Zhanshu and Vice-Premiers of the PRC State Council Wang Yang and Zhang Gaoli. We hope that contacts along all lines will not be less intensive and will continue until the end of this year.

Our foreign policy cooperation, as once again was stressed by our leaders at their talks in Beijing, is an increasingly important factor when it comes to world politics and an example of a responsible approach to solving current international problems on the firm basis of the UN Charter and international law.

We cooperate effectively in various multilateral formats: UN, the Group of Twenty, SCO, BRICS, APEC, EAS, RIC and CICA. I am confident that today’s talks will enable us to map out further concrete steps for the implementation of top-level agreements.

I am very glad to see you. Welcome once again.