Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 15 in Beijing on the final leg of Lavrov’s two-day visit. President Xi sent his greetings to President Putin and underlined the importance of the Russia-China relationship at this critical time. Xi urged both sides to strengthen strategic communication and maintain close diplomatic coordination to promote a higher-level and more stable comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. “In the changing international environment, cooperation between Russia and China is more valuable than ever,” the Chinese President said.
Lavrov characterized the relationship as “unwavering and strong” adhering to “the ideals of justice, equality, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.” He also indicated that the two countries together could weather whatever storm occurs in the light of the US actions in the Middle East. In his discussions, Lavrov had also indicated that Russian oil and gas resources would be available to make up for any losses because of the situation in the Gulf.
The officials focused on pressing issues, including the situation in the Persian Gulf, the Ukraine crisis, and developments in the Latin American region. They stressed the importance of strengthening coordination between Moscow and Beijing on the international stage, including at the UN and the UN Security Council, the SCO, BRICS, APEC, the G20 and other multilateral frameworks.
