2023-09-20 16:22:00
Putin will visit Xi Jinping in October. Photo: AFP.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin announced that he will travel to China in October invited by his counterpart Xi Jinping.
“I was pleased to accept the invitation” from Xi Jinping to “visit China in October,” Putin said during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the AFP news agency reported.
The Kremlin had already announced “the intention” of the Russian president to travel to China to participate in the “Belt and Road” forumwhich brings together international leaders.
Russia, sanctioned by Western countries for its offensive in Ukraine, seeks to strengthen ties with China at the economic, military and energy levels, among other sectors.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov had previously stated that Putin would receive Foreign Minister Wang and would host him in the “Constantine Palace of Saint Petersburg”, in northwest Russia.
The Chinese minister, who arrived in Russia on Monday, met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and, after that meeting, Russian diplomacy stated that Beijing and Moscow shared “similar” positions regarding the United States and the conflict in Ukraine.
Since Xi’s visit to the Kremlin in March and Russia’s isolation in the West, Moscow and Beijing have advocated strengthening their economic and military cooperation within the framework of a friendship officially described as “without limits.”
In August, both countries carried out joint naval maneuvers in the Pacific Ocean.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, China has positioned itself as a neutral country while keeping its relations with Russia intact.
#Putin #travels #China #October #meet #President