Russian, Chinese foreign ministers to discuss Ukraine, Middle East, V-Day celebrations

MOSCOW, April 5. /TASS/. Russian and Chinese Foreign Ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi, plan to discuss at their forthcoming talks the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, and preparations for a visit by China’s President Xi Jinping to Moscow to attend the V-Day celebrations on May 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Wang Yi will pay an official visit to Russia on April 6 through April 8. In its approach to the Ukrainian crisis, Beijing "has a well-balanced position and demonstrates understanding of the entire complex of factors, including historic factors, that have entailed new realities in the region," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The two foreign ministers will exchange views on a wide range of topical global and regional issues, including the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the situation in the Middle East and North African countries and in Afghanistan. "Russia and China are confident that the settlement of crisis situation in the Middle East and North Africa region must be carried out within the legal frames and by peaceful means. They share the position on the inadmissibility of outside interference into internal political processes of region’s states," the ministry said. Lavrov and Wang Yi will also focus on strengthening cooperation in international formats, first of all within the United Nations, and within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization /SCO/, the BRICS /an acronym standing for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa/, the Group of Twenty, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum /APEC/, and the East Asia Summit. Beijing, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, actively assists Russia’s presidency in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS. Over the recent years, "Russia-China relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation have entered an unprecedented high level," the ministry noted. "Moscow and Beijing have close or similar approaches to the majority of international problems and are committed to continue close cooperation in coordination of their foreign policy efforts." Read more