President Xi Jinping expressed concerns on Wednesday about the current situation in the Middle East, saying that achieving a cease-fire and ending the conflict in Gaza as soon as possible is key to easing tensions in the region.

He called on the international community to work together to urge all parties concerned to effectively implement the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and prevent further turmoil in the region.

Xi made the remarks during his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Kazan, Russia, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit, their first meeting since Pezeshkian took office at the end of July.

Xi pointed out that Iran is a country with significant regional and global influence, and is a good friend and partner of China.

He said that against the backdrop of the changing international landscape, the strategic significance of China-Iran relations is becoming more pronounced. No matter how the international and regional situations evolve, China will unwaveringly develop friendly cooperation with Iran, he added.

Xi emphasized that China supports Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and dignity, as well as its efforts in promoting its economic and social development and improving and deepening its friendly relations with neighboring countries.

Xi congratulated and welcomed Iran's participation for the first time as a full member of the grouping in the BRICS summit.

Pezeshkian described China as Iran's most important partner. Teheran wants to work with Beijing to implement the comprehensive cooperation plan between the two countries and deepen cooperation in areas such as mutual connectivity, infrastructure and clean energy.

He expressed appreciation for China's support for his country's formal participation in the BRICS cooperation mechanism, saying that Iran looks forward to close cooperation with China on multilateral platforms including BRICS.

caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn