Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also director of the Foreign Affairs Commission Office of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, discussed issues on the global agenda, including the Ukrainian crisis, as well as bilateral relations during a telephone conversation, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

“The parties highly appreciated the ongoing development of Russian-Chinese relations, which demonstrate stability and positive dynamics amid general geopolitical instability on the planet,” the ministry said. The top diplomats “touched upon a number of hot regional topics, including the Ukrainian crisis,” it went on to say.

“The ministers discussed a range of pressing issues on the international agenda. They noted their rejection of the Western bloc’s confrontational policy toward Russia and China, its attempts to contain their development by means of sanctions and other illegitimate methods. They gave a positive assessment of the constructive dialogue and the high level of cooperation between Moscow and Beijing within the United Nations, BRICS, SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization – TASS), the Group of Twenty and other international structures,” the ministry said.

The press release emphasized that the contact between the foreign ministers of Russia and China “once again confirmed unanimity or broad consonance of Moscow and Beijing’s approaches to world affairs.” The top diplomats also confirmed “their readiness to continue close foreign policy coordination,” the Russian Foreign Ministry added. It also said that the parties had paid specific attention to the bilateral agenda in terms of the implementation of agreements reached at the top political level.

Earlier, Chinese Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui conveyed Beijing’s position with regard to settling the Ukrainian conflict at an international conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It was the first telephone call between the foreign ministers of Russia and China after Wang Yi’s recent appointment to that position. “Sergey Lavrov congratulated his Chinese counterpart on his recent appointment as Chinese Foreign Minister and wished him great success in his new demanding role,” the Foreign Ministry summed up.

Source: Agencies