Kremlin: Russia-China Cooperation on Syria, Iran Plays Important Role

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Sergei Ivanov, the chief of staff of the Russian presidential administration, noted close cooperation between Moscow and Beijing in solving urgent issues of international agenda, including on Syria, Iran, and the Asia-Pacific region.

"The close joint work of Russian and Chinese diplomats played an important role in settling such sensitive issues as chemical demilitarization of Syria and reaching agreements on the Iranian nuclear program," Ivanov said at the opening ceremony of the second Russian and Chinese Mass Media Forum.

Commenting on other areas of cooperation, he mentioned the common approaches of the two countries in building "the indivisible architecture of security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region," confidence-building in the outer space activities and ensuring international data security.

"Together we stand for an international monetary and financial system reform in order to make it more equitable," Ivanov stressed.

The Kremlin administration head called strategic partnership between Russia and China a model of intergovernmental relations of the 21st century.

"It is gratifying that new platforms for direct substantial dialogue emerge, and this is fully in line with the dynamics of the Russian-Chinese relations, which are at the highest level in history. The strategic partnership between Russia and China is an example of interstate relations in the 21st century," Ivanov stated at the opening ceremony of the second Russian and Chinese Mass Media Forum.

The guarantee for the relations’ successful development is that they are based on the principles of "mutual respect, trust and equality," he added.

"We strive to take into account each other’s interests, we are interested in the prosperity of our countries," the head of the Kremlin administration noted.

Moscow and Beijing efficiently cooperate within the existing economic and banking projects, striving to increase bilateral trade. Among the venues of economic cooperation are the China-proposed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the BRICS New Development Bank, the Silk Road infrastructure fund and the China-Russia Expo.

Both countries also make enormous efforts to counter terrorism, seen as a key element of China-Russia all-encompassing partnership and strategic cooperation, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui told Sputnik on January 19.

The Kremlin administration head arrived in China on March 24 at the invitation of the head of the General Office of the Communist Party of China, Li Zhanshu.

The two officials discussed a wide range of issues of cooperation between the Russian presidential administration and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.