On April 29, 2016, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and visiting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia jointly met the press after holding talks.
Wang Yi expressed that I just held an official talk with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, which is our third talk in the past one and half month, fully demonstrating the high level and closeness of China-Russia relations. During the talk, both sides exchanged in-depth views on promoting the further development of bilateral relations, as well as major international and regional topics of common interest, reaching extensive consensus.
Wang Yi noted that both sides compared comprehensive notes on relevant arrangements concerning President Vladimir Putin's visit to China. This is the most important political agenda of China-Russia relations during the first half of this year, to which both sides attach great attention and hold full expectation. We have carefully and comprehensively organized and dovetailed the preparation work of the visit, and agreed to maintain close cooperation on the basis of existing work in order to jointly ensure the complete success of this important visit with fruitful results and maintain the high-level operation of China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination.
Wang Yi pointed out that this year marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. Both Foreign Ministers agree that amid the current complicated and changeable international arena, the concept of generations of friendship between China and Russia laid out in the treaty is of important realistic significance. Both sides should take it as an opportunity to vigorously carry forward the spirit of equality, trust, mutual support, common prosperity and generations of friendship in various circles of both societies to further consolidate the social and public opinion foundation of China-Russia relations.
Wang Yi pointed out that this year is also the 20th anniversary marking the establishment of China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination. The 20-year-long practice has fully proved that the close coordination and cooperation conduced by China and Russia on major international and regional topics of common interest have injected robust positive energy on safeguarding world and regional peace and stability. Facing increasingly complex and changing international and regional situations, it is necessary for China and Russia to further intensify cooperation in international areas.