Chinese Foreign Minister Wang in Moscow visits, had separate meetings on April 1 with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and then with President Vladimir Putin. The Office of the Russian President reports that in their meeting, Putin offered his “friendly greetings to … our good friend Mr. Xi Jinping. We are waiting for him in Russia on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, World War II. We will mark this anniversary—victory over Nazi Germany and victory over militaristic Japan—together.”
Putin expressed satisfaction with the development of the two countries’ relations: “I am aware that you have an extensive and busy program for your visit. … connected with preparations for the visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China to Russia.
“I hope it will involve not only participation in solemn events, but will also be a separate visit. The President of the People’s Republic of China will be our main guest, and we will have an opportunity to discuss the current state of bilateral relations and our interaction on international venues, primarily the UN—the UN Security Council—as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and a number of other platforms where we work together with great success.”
Wang likewise conveyed to Putin: “First of all, let me convey to you the warmest greetings from your longtime friend President Xi Jinping.
“Since the beginning of this year, the President has been in close contact with you. Under your leadership, bilateral relations have been developing, multifaceted cooperation has been steadily advancing, and international cooperation between our two countries has been deepening.
“Thanks to the personal attention and efforts of our respective leaders, political mutual trust constantly gets stronger, strategic coordination tightens, practical cooperation deepens, the great cause of national rebirth of our countries is guaranteed, and our common interests in pressing international regional affairs are protected….
“Our friendship is not based on fleeting considerations, but is of a long-term nature.
“You have accurately noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of Great Victory in the war against Nazism and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. Eighty years ago, the Chinese and Soviet people fought bravely in Europe and Asia, on the main front, suffered heavy national losses, and defeated militaristic Japan and Nazi Germany, thus making a major contribution to peace for humanity.
“Eighty years later, today we must unite to uphold the outcomes of World War II, the post-war world order, and the UN-centric international system, and join our efforts to promote multipolarity and democratisation of international relations,” Wang stressed.
“I am confident that the President’s upcoming visit to Russia, as well as your visit to China, will unquestionably give another boost to bilateral relations,” he concluded.
In their earlier meeting between Wang and Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Ministry reports, Lavrov referenced “Today, the task of constructing a reliable barrier against the resurgence of fascist, Nazi, and militarist ideologies—as well as all forces seeking to revive these unacceptable phenomena—remains critically urgent.”
Lavrov concluded, “I am confident that today we will reach consensus on advancing bilateral relations in the context of preparations for high-level meetings, as well as one further coordination within the United Nations, its Security Council, the SCO, BRICS, the G20, ASEAN frameworks, and other multilateral platforms.”
While further details of the meetings are not available, Wang Yi’s March 31 interview with RIA Novosti gives an initial good overview of the content and direction of the discussions.
