Chinese, Russian FMs discuss ties in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of China-Russia diplomatic ties and is also a year witnessing fresh progress in bilateral ties in various fields in spite of risks and challenges.

He once again extended congratulations on Russia's successful hosting of the 16th BRICS Summit, which opens a new chapter of greater BRICS cooperation. During their talks on the sidelines of the Kazan Summit, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin made a strategic plan for the development of bilateral relations in the next stage, Wang said.

China, he said, is willing to work with Russia to further strengthen cooperation and alignment, and promote China-Russia comprehensive strategic coordination so as to make due contributions to the development and revitalization of their respective countries as well as the reform of global governance.

China and Russia should work with BRICS partners to follow through on the results of the Kazan Summit, expand and strengthen the BRICS mechanism, and enhance the influence of the Global South, so that they can play a greater role in pushing for a multipolar world, he said.

China has assumed the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and is ready to work closely with Russia for the growth of SCO and help lift it to a higher level, Wang said.

Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. China and Russia will jointly organize commemorative activities and firmly safeguard the outcome of the victory of World War II and international equity and justice as part of their efforts to learn from the history and usher in the future, he said.

Lavrov said that Russia-China relations now stand at an unprecedented high level and that the two heads of state have maintained close exchanges and set new goals for cooperation.

Russia-China relations have always been based on the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win, which are in line with the interests of the two peoples and are supported by Global South countries, he said.

Lavrov thanked China for its support for Russia's chairmanship of the BRICS, saying that Russia will actively support China's role as the presidency of the SCO. Russia is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with China within multilateral mechanisms such as the G20, APEC and the United Nations (UN), he added.

The United Nations is the most important achievement of the victory of World War II, and it is of great significance to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations next year, he said.

The international community should take this opportunity to oppose any behaviors that undermine the post-war international order and jointly safeguard world peace and stability, he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.