Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks in the People’s Republic of China

On April 8-9, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was on an official visit to China, where he was received by President of China Xi Jinping and held extensive talks with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi.

The Chinese leader welcomed Sergey Lavrov’s arrival in Beijing as an important step of comprehensive preparations for President of Russia Vladimir Putin’s state visit to China, scheduled to take place this year. Xi Jinping praised the current state of bilateral relations, which continue to develop dynamically considering the difficult situation in the world, and stated his readiness to further strengthen comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with Russia.

Xi Jinping expressed his condolences over the terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk on March 22 and reaffirmed China’s full support of Russia’s effort in fighting terrorism.

During Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Wang Yi, the schedule of bilateral contacts at the high and highest levels was discussed, as well as separate issues of practical cooperation in various fields.

The two countries’ foreign ministers stressed the importance to promote mutual cooperation with the UN, SCO, BRICS, G20, APEC and other multilateral mechanisms and forums. The ministers also discussed ways to ensure security and stability in the Asia-Pacific regions considering the US’s policy to create limited-membership closed military-political alliances there, which are anti-Russia and anti-China. Separate matters related to the developments around the Korean peninsula and Taiwan, as well as within the Middle Eastern settlement process, were discussed, as well as prospects of forming new security architecture in Eurasia against the backdrop of stagnating Euro-Atlantic mechanisms.

The parties agreed to discuss possible ways to settle the Ukrainian crisis. They stressed that any international measures that do not take into account Russia’s position are doomed to be futile and are disconnected from reality. The Russian side praised China’s constructive steps to search for peaceful ways to solve the conflict.

The talks, held in Beijing in a traditionally trustful and friendly atmosphere, showed the two countries’ converging approaches to the major global processes and reaffirmed the importance of further promoting bilateral cooperation for strengthening peace and stability in the region and on the whole planet.