Vladimir Putin believes that the Russian-Chinese relationship “stabilizes the international situation”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 22, 2023. AP - Anton Novoderezhkin
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Vladimir Putin judged this Wednesday, February 22 that the Russian-Chinese relationship “
stabilized the international situation
”, in full suspense around a Chinese peace plan for Ukraine, supposed to be made public this week.
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"
International relations are complicated today (...) In this context, cooperation (...) between China and Russia is of great importance for the stabilization of the international situation
", declared the Russian president, by welcoming the head of Chinese diplomacy Wang Yi to the Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin
rarely receives foreign officials who are not heads of state, this meeting once again underscoring the privileged ties between the Kremlin and its Chinese ally.
"
We are reaching new horizons
", welcomed Vladimir Putin, adding to expect Chinese President Xi Jinping with a visit to Russia, envisaged in the spring.
For his part, Wang Yi expressed Beijing's desire to "
strengthen the strategic partnership (...) and all-out cooperation
" with Moscow, according to his words translated into Russian.
“Russian-Chinese relations “
are not directed against third countries and resist their pressure
,” he stressed.
China, mediator in the Ukrainian conflict?
The head of Chinese diplomacy was received at the Kremlin, after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“
Our relations are developing in a secure and dynamic way.
And despite strong turbulence on the international scene, we are showing unity, a desire to defend the interests of one and the other
,” said Sergei Lavrov during this meeting.
Wang Yi's visit to Russia comes as China seeks to play a mediating role in the Ukrainian conflict by publicly evoking a peace plan - for the time being very vague - to find a political solution.
Wang Yi arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, after meeting last week with the head of Ukrainian diplomacy Dmytro Kouleba during the security conference organized in Munich, Germany, where he presented to him, according to Kiev, "key elements of the plan
of Chinese peace
” for Ukraine.
China has promised to publish its "
political solution
" proposal this week, in time for the first anniversary of the launch of the Russian offensive in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. A close ally of Russia, China has never supported nor publicly criticized the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, while repeatedly expressing support for Moscow in the face of Western sanctions.
But she also called for respect for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, while Moscow claims the annexation of five Ukrainian regions.
►Also read
: "Worried" about the "escalating" conflict in Ukraine, China calls for dialogue
(
With
AFP)
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Vladimir Poutine
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