Wang Yi meets Sergei Lavrov in Rio de Janeiro

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Monday in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told Lavrov that China is ready to work with the Russian side to further strengthen coordination, in order to promote the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination as well as to make due contributions to the two countries' respective development and revitalization and to the reform of global governance.

The Chinese foreign minister stressed the need for BRICS partners to implement the results of the BRICS Kazan summit, expand and strengthen the BRICS mechanism, enhance the influence of the Global South and play a greater role in the world's multipolarity.  

Noting China has taken over the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Wang said China is ready to work closely with Russia to promote greater development of the SCO to a new level.  

As next year will mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, the Chinese foreign minister said China and Russia should jointly organize commemorative activities to firmly defend the victorious achievements of the Second World War and international justice, so as to learn from history and open up the future.

For his part, Lavrov said the current high level of Russia-China ties is unprecedented, adding that the heads of state of the two countries have maintained close contact and set new goals for cooperation.  

Russia-China relations have always adhered to the principles of equality, mutual benefit and win-win situation, which are in the interests of the two peoples and supported by the Global South, he said.

Lavrov expressed his gratitude for China's support during Russia's presidency of BRICS and said Russia will actively support China in its role as the SCO chair, and is ready to continue to strengthen cooperation with China in multilateral mechanisms such as the G20, APEC and the United Nations.  

Calling the United Nations the most important outcome of the victory in the Second World War, the Russian foreign minister also called on the international community to take the opportunity of commemorating the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding to oppose the destruction of the post-war international order and jointly maintain global peace and stability.

The two sides also exchanged views on the crisis in Ukraine and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.