Putin meets with China’s foreign minister at Kremlin

MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday, who is in Russia for a three-day official visit that began Monday.

At the Kremlin, Putin expressed satisfaction with the development of Russian-Chinese bilateral relations and noted his hopes that the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia in early May will provide further momentum to their cooperation.

“I’m aware that your visit entails a comprehensive and busy schedule. Primarily, this relates to the preparations for the upcoming visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China to Russia. Rest assured, we’re working diligently to ensure a substantive and rewarding program,” he said.

Putin added that Xi will be the main guest at the May 9 celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II.

“We’ll seize this opportunity to reflect on the current status of our bilateral relationship and strategize our collaborative endeavors on international stages,” he noted.

Putin highlighted the United Nations, particularly the UN Security Council, and organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS economic bloc as key platforms for cooperation.

Earlier in the day Wang also held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

In February, Lavrov announced that Xi would visit Moscow in May for celebrations honoring the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, while Putin is scheduled to travel to China in late August or early September to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japanese militarism and the end of World War II.