The spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry: The visit of Russia's Foreign Minister to China will be announced simultaneously with China
The spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, confirmed to TASS that preparations for the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to China are underway. Both sides will announce the visit simultaneously. Previously, on Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a scheduled phone call with Lavrov, exchanging views on the current situation in the Middle East.
During an interruption at the "Wings of Women" forum held in Saint Petersburg on Monday, Zakharova responded to questions about whether Lavrov might visit China on April 14 by stating, "For such matters, we will announce them simultaneously with our Chinese partners—this time is no exception."
Zakharova emphasized that "Russia and China maintain close communication and regularly conduct reciprocal visits." On Sunday, the Chinese Foreign Minister spoke with Lavrov and stated, "Currently, the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, and hostilities are escalating. The fundamental solution to ensuring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz lies in achieving a swift ceasefire. China stands ready to continue cooperating with Russia within the United Nations Security Council, promptly communicating on major issues, striving to de-escalate tensions, and working together to uphold regional peace, stability, and global common security."
The Russian Foreign Ministry's press release stated, "The two sides discussed the situation in the Persian Gulf region, agreeing that the international community should work toward quickly ending confrontation in this area and restarting political and diplomatic dialogue. In this context, both sides exchanged views on enhancing cooperation between Russia and China across various international platforms, particularly within the UN framework. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the high degree of alignment between Russia and China on most issues on the global agenda—including the situation around Iran, triggered by unwarranted aggression from the United States and Israel against Iran."
The Russian Foreign Ministry said, "The two sides agreed to maintain close coordination and cooperation on all issues on the UN Security Council agenda that concern both countries, carrying out relevant collaboration through their permanent missions to the United Nations." This foreign ministers' phone conversation took place ahead of a vote by the UN Security Council on a resolution submitted by Bahrain aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters.
Additionally, during the event, Zakharova revealed that Russia and China are currently negotiating the extension of their visa-free travel arrangement. She said, "This issue is currently being handled by interdepartmental bodies, and we will inform you promptly afterward." Zakharova believes the initiative on visa-free travel between Russia and China has proven highly positive.
"In my view," she said, "this measure is less of an experiment and more of an attempt that not only demonstrates its rationality but also proves its value in the best possible way."
The Russian Foreign Ministry disclosed to Izvestia that China has informed Russia of its willingness to extend the visa-free policy for Russian citizens by one year. Under these circumstances, the policy will remain in effect until mid-September 2027.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, when questioned at Tuesday’s regular press briefing about whether China was willing to extend the visa-free policy for Russian citizens by another year, replied, "China attaches great importance to people-to-people exchanges between Russia and China. We welcome more Russian friends to come to China, experience the country firsthand, and feel the beauty of China."
Source: Izvestia
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861802913592328/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.