Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday that China, upholding the spirit of the series of major initiatives and proposals put forward by President Xi Jinping, will continue to work to promote peace, stability and development in the Middle East region.

In a meeting with Iran's First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref on the sidelines of the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Li said that China has been making every effort to encourage peace and promote dialogue.

Stressing the situation in the Middle East has remained turbulent since the beginning of this year, Li pointed out that President Xi has put forward a four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and a four-point proposal on building a new security architecture in the Middle East, which have received broad support from regional countries and the international community.

Li stressed that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected and that the parties concerned should opt for peace, resume dialogue and negotiations as soon as possible, resolve differences through political and diplomatic means, and work toward restoring peace and stability in the region.

Noting China and Iran are both ancient civilizations with a long history of traditional friendship, Li said that over the 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, bilateral ties have maintained steady and sound development despite changes in the international situation.

As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, China stands ready to work with Iran to achieve new progress in exchanges and cooperation across various fields, Li said.

Aref said Iran attaches great importance to its relations with China and stands ready to strengthen exchanges at all levels, expand mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields and enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, to further advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

He praised China as a responsible major country that consistently supports multilateralism and is committed to safeguarding the common interests of Global South countries.

Aref also thanked China for its efforts to promote peace and dialogue, and welcomed and supported the important initiatives and proposals put forward by President Xi to promote peace and security in the Middle East.

He said Iran was willing to resolve conflicts and differences through dialogue and consultation, expressing hope for an early return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and the restoration of peace and stability in the region.