High-level ministers urge closer China, Russia ties

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged China and Russia to jointly prepare for high-level exchanges, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination, promote respective development and revitalization, and jointly address challenges when meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Beijing on Sunday.

Lavrov is currently in China to attend the Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, member states, to be held in Tianjin on Tuesday.

During the talks, Wang emphasized that the SCO serves as a key platform for comprehensive strategic coordination, advocating multilateralism, enhancing practical cooperation, and strengthening solidarity among the Global South.

As the current SCO chair, China is willing to work with Russia and other member states to prepare for the summit in Tianjin, to chart the course for future development, energize cooperation in all fields, and advance the organization's development to a new level, Wang said.

As this year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, Wang underlined the need for both sides to organize commemorative events and to uphold the correct historical narrative of the war.

Lavrov told Wang that Russia stands ready to work with China, under the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, to deepen cooperation across the board and promote bilateral ties to achieve new results.

He pledged Russia's full support for China's rotating presidency of the SCO and vowed to enhance communication and coordination to ensure the success of the summit.

Both sides also exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula issue, the Ukraine crisis, and the Iranian nuclear situation.