Chinese, Russian FMs meet on cooperation, regional integration

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov vowed to maintain the high-level bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination and promote cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the 15th trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of China, Russia in India on Monday, December 11, 2017. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

At their meeting on the sidelines of the 15th trilateral meeting of foreign ministers of China, Russia in India on Monday, Wang said China and Russia have been firmly supporting each other on issues of core interests, closely cooperating with each other on international affairs, and actively contributing to the establishment of a new type of international relationship.

The alignment of China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union has yielded primary results, and the pragmatic cooperation between China and Russia has made headway, Wang said, adding that the Chinese side is willing to push the bilateral ties to a higher level.

As chair nation of the SCO summit next year, China hopes to work with Russia to push the summit to achieve more results, especially on the deeper integration of China's Belt and Road Initiative and other member countries' development strategies, so as to inject impetus to regional joint development, the Chinese foreign minister said.

As major emerging economies, China, Russia and India should strengthen coordination and cooperation, and try to reach strategic consensus on safeguarding regional stability, promoting common development, and pushing forward the democratization of international relations, Wang suggested.

For his part, Lavrov said Russia is willing to work with China to further strengthen coordination and cooperation within the bilateral and multilateral frameworks, in a bid to promote respective development and safeguard common interests.

Russia is willing to assist China and push forward the integration of SCO member countries' respective development strategies, and promote regional cooperation.

Russia also thinks highly of the China-Russia-India cooperation mechanism, and hopes the three nations can enhance strategic communication and coordination on this platform, Lavrov said.

Both foreign ministers also exchanged views on hot issues such as the Korean Peninsula situation and the Syria issue.