Top Russian, Chinese diplomats discuss bilateral ties, wars in Ukraine, Iran during talks in Baku

Lavrov, Wang meet in Azerbaijan to discuss bilateral ties and international agenda on sidelines of conference

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed bilateral ties and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran during talks on the sidelines of an Asian security meeting.

A statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry late Wednesday that the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 7th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, “highly assessed” the development of bilateral ties.

Expressing this assessment particularly in the context of the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship, the statement said Lavrov and Wang coordinated positions on bilateral political dialogue, among other issues.

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“An in-depth exchange of views took place regarding cooperation within the CICA framework, and the future development of this platform was discussed,” the statement said, noting that both parties emphasised the importance of bolstering coordination on international platforms.

The statement further said the two sides also discussed relations with the US and the situation surrounding the Ukraine and Iran wars, adding that the talks were held in an atmosphere of “trust and constructive cooperation characteristic of Russian-Chinese relations.”

The 7th CICA summit, hosted by Azerbaijan as the current chair of the intergovernmental forum, will bring together representatives of member states, observer countries, and partner international organisations.

Discussions will focus on regional cooperation, connectivity, digitalisation, and sustainable development under Azerbaijan's chairmanship priorities.