From the Russian side, the talks were attended by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Aide to the President Yury Ushakov and, on the Chinese side, by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to the Russian Federation Zhang Hanhui and Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Minister, friends.
Allow me to cordially welcome you to Moscow. I am very pleased to see you again.
Before we begin our conversation, I would like to ask you to convey my friendly greetings to the President of the People’s Republic of China, 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.
We would like to express satisfaction with the way our relations are developing, including with the direct support of our respective foreign ministries. I am aware that you have an extensive and busy programme for your visit. First of all, it is connected with preparations for the visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China to Russia. We will prepare a good and fulfilling programme.
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 Organisation, BRICS and a number of other platforms where we work together with great success.
We are very pleased to see you.
Welcome, Mr Minister.
Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi (retranslated): President Putin,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to meet with me.
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.
Cooperation between China and Russia is never directed against third parties and does not succumb to impediments coming from outside. We will not tread water when it comes to advancing bilateral relations, and we have a broad prospects open to us. 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.
Mr President, you accurately noted that preparations for President Xi Jinping’s visit and his participation in the celebrations to be held in early May are the main purpose of my current visit. Before this meeting with you now, Minister Lavrov and I have met to align every item on our agenda that concerns preparations for this visit. Generally speaking, we can safely say that preparations are going quite well, and we are proceeding as planned.
Today, we have a very good in-person opportunity to listen to your valuable opinions, which I will report to the President personally.
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.
Thank you.
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