Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang (L) meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting in Goa, India, May 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)
GOA, India, May 5 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia have agreed to further develop bilateral relations and build the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) into a platform for mutually beneficial cooperation.
At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Thursday on the sidelines of the SCO foreign ministers' meeting, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that China is ready to join hands with Russia to implement the important consensuses reached between heads of state of the two countries and strengthen strategic communication.
The two countries have conducted frequent exchanges at all levels and strengthened cooperation in various fields, said Qin.
Lavrov said that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Russia in March has injected great impetus into the development of bilateral relations. Russia is willing to jointly push forward cooperation with China in various areas and elevate bilateral ties to a new high.
Both sides agreed to plan and arrange high-level exchanges and exchanges at various levels, enhance economic and trade cooperation, deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and facilitate personnel exchanges.
They vowed to enhance communication and coordination with other SCO member states, and maintain the SCO solidarity and cooperation so as to build the SCO into a platform for mutually beneficial cooperation.
The two sides also agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation within BRICS, Group of 20, the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, oppose all forms of hegemonism, safeguard the common interests of emerging market economies and developing countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.
They agreed to strengthen communication and coordination in the Asia-Pacific region, oppose a new "Cold War" and safeguard regional peace and stability.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.
China will continue to facilitate talks for peace and stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with Russia to make concrete contributions to a political settlement of the crisis, Qin said.
Lavrov said the Russian side attaches importance to China's position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, agrees with China's principled position and is ready to maintain close communication with China in a candid manner.
The two sides also exchanged views on other international and regional issues of common concern. ■
