Chinese Foreign Minister Qin and Russia’s Lavrov Meet in Goa

May 5, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on May 4 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Foreign Ministers meeting in Panaji, Goa in India. He said that bilateral exchanges at various levels have become more active since President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow over March 20-22, and cooperation in various fields has rolled out across the board.

The two sides agreed to plan and make arrangements for next-stage exchanges between the two countries at all levels, to strengthen cooperation in economy and trade and to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges. They agreed to strengthen cooperation with multilateral frameworks such as BRICS, the G20 and the United Nations, and to strengthen coordination in the Asia-Pacific and oppose a new Cold War.

They also discussed the situation in Ukraine. Qin said China would stay committed to promoting peace talks, while Lavrov also underlined the importance of China’s Position Paper on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis, and said Russia stands ready to keep close communication with China on the matter.