Russian Vice President Yuriy Ushakov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Shi Jinping, who will meet in Beijing, will sign a joint statement on international security. According to Ushakov, China supports Russia’s security guarantees initiative.
Putin and Shi’s first face-to-face meeting in two years was eagerly awaited, with Ushakov briefed on the contacts of the Russian leader, who will attend the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Putin and Shi will sign a joint statement at the end of the meeting that will reflect the two sides’ common approaches to the most important global issues, including security issues, Ushakov said, adding that the leaders will sign about 15 agreements prepared for this visit.
‘China supports Russia’s security guarantees initiative’
China supports Russia’s initiative on security guarantees in Europe, Ushakov said. Peace and stability cannot be achieved by strengthening military formations. We and the Chinese side call for the development of effective mechanisms for ensuring security in Europe.”
‘We are in favour of unsc leaders meeting’
Noting that Russia and China do not accept unilateral sanctions and protectionist measures, but also oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries, Ushakov underlined that Moscow and Beijing are in favor of meeting the leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in accordance with Putin’s initiative.
Pointing out that Russian-Chinese cooperation is an important factor in sustainable development in the world and combating the destructive activities of a number of countries, Ushakov said that they hope that the Putin-Shi meeting will be beneficial both for the development of bilateral relations and for the reconciliation of future steps in the international arena.
Ushakov said that the Russian delegation to Beijing will be limited due to coronavirus measures, and that the delegation will include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitriy Chernishenko, Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov, Rosneft President Igor Seç and himself.
Noting that today the Chinese gas market is the most promising, Ushakov continued:
“Energy shipments to China have reached a record high. More than 15 billion cubic meters of gas were exported through the Power of Siberia pipeline. Special attention will be paid to energy co-operation.”
Addressing the Russian team, which will perform under the name of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROK) ahead of the Olympics, Putin announced that he would meet with Shi at the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022 will start on February 4th and end on February 20th. More than 20 heads of state and government are expected to attend the opening ceremony.
© Sputnik
