Beijing, Aug 8 (EFE).- China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, held a telephone conversation on Monday in which Wang said that Moscow and Beijing are “trustworthy and reliable good friends and partners,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a readout on its website late Monday.
Wang noted that since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in March this year, “new progress” has been made in bilateral ties, with record trade volume, stable energy cooperation and a rapid recovery of personal exchanges.
The Chinese foreign minister urged both countries to maintain “close strategic coordination” on the international and multilateral stage, promote “multi-polarization of the world” and the “democratization of international relations,” and safeguard the “basic norms of international relations.”
For his part, Lavrov expressed Russia’s willingness to “strengthen strategic coordination”, “deepen pragmatic cooperation” and achieve more results in bilateral relations.
Both diplomats also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, according to the Chinese ministry’s readout.
Wang stressed that China will adhere to an “independent and impartial” position on the conflict, “actively promote peace talks” and “seek a political solution,” while Lavrov expressed Russia’s appreciation of the “constructive role” played by Beijing.
In February 2022, shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi announced a “friendship without limits” between their nations in Beijing.
Since then, the Asian country has maintained an ambiguous position on the conflict, which it has avoided condemning directly while defending respect for the territorial integrity of all countries. EFE
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