Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's video address to the participants in the 8th international conference Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era, Moscow, June 27, 2023
27 June 2023 09:31
1259-27-06-2023
Mr Ivanov,
Mr Gao Xiang,
Colleagues,
I am pleased to welcome the organisers of and participants to this, eighth international conference Russia and China: Cooperation in a New Era. We know that for our Chinese friends the number eight is special. In Chinese, it symbolises good luck, development and growth of prosperity. I am confident that today's meeting will be rich in ideas and will enable practical recommendations to be formulated. Moreover, this is the first time after the pause caused by the coronavirus pandemic that the conference is taking place in person. Face-to-face interactions are worthwhile. No technology, not even the most up-to-date one, can replace it.
Today, our countries and the entire world are undergoing rapid and profound changes related to the transition to a multipolar world order. The changes taking place require comprehensive and timely reflection. Contacts within the expert community are becoming increasingly necessary, including with a view to identifying new and promising areas of Russian-Chinese cooperation. With this in mind, we welcome and support cooperation between the Russian International Affairs Council and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Progressive development of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation with the People's Republic of China remains one of the unconditional priorities of Russian diplomacy. This fact is stated in the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation, which was approved by President Vladimir Putin in late March. Russia's aim is to build up mutually beneficial cooperation with China in all spheres. We are ready to make joint efforts in the international arena in the interests of universal security and sustainable development at the global and regional levels.
We share our Chinese colleagues' view that the trust-based contacts between our leaders play a key role in strengthening the Russian-Chinese strategic tandem in international affairs. It is particularly valuable that following his re-election President of China Xi Jinping paid his first state visit to Russia. We see this as a vivid demonstration of our Chinese friends' intent to continue expanding and intensifying our partnership.
The summit drew a wide-ranging response in the world. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was of historic importance that went far beyond the bilateral framework. Implementing the agreements that have been reached will give a powerful impetus to the practical dimension of Russian-Chinese cooperation. Simultaneously, this will make a visible contribution to creating the foundations of a more stable and just world order without anyone's hegemony or neocolonial practices.
Following up on the contacts between the heads of state, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin visited China on May 22-24, 2023. It was a sign of further rapprochement that the Russian prime minister was received by President Xi Jinping, held detailed talks with Premier of the State Council of China Li Qiang, and addressed the opening ceremony for the large-scale Russian-Chinese business forum in Shanghai.
Trade and economic collaboration between our two countries continues to expand despite certain states' attempts to hinder it. In 2022, our bilateral trade increased by one-third to $185 billion, which is an all-time record. We hope that the target to bring bilateral trade to $200 billion by the end of this year, as agreed by our leaders, will be reached and possibly exceeded.
Russia and China are drawn closer together by the fact that our countries belong to a limited number of truly sovereign states pursuing an independent foreign policy. On the international stage, we and our Chinese friends consistently come out for solving all modern problems on the firm basis of international law. In so doing, we emphasise the fundamental importance of the goals and principles of the UN Charter, primarily the fundamental principle of sovereign equality of states.
At this turning-point in the world's development, our countries are facing strong pressure brought to bear by the US-led collective West. One of the manifestations of its policy is the financial and economic sanctions unprecedented in scale and depth, sanctions imposed in circumvention of the UN Security Council and therefore illegitimate. Meanwhile, Ukraine, the Taiwan issue, human rights - this list can be continued - are only a pretext for rather than the cause of the anti-Russia and anti-China actions by Washington and its client countries. It is no secret for anyone that the ruling circles in the West see the sovereign course followed by Russia and China as an obstacle to their continued global domination based on a military-political diktat and financial, economic and technological monopoly.
In proposing a constructive alternative to the West's policy, Moscow and Beijing are facilitating - not in word but in deed - the emergence of conditions for a multipolar world order, regard for the interests of all states, and the cultural and civilisational identity of all nations.
I am pleased to state that we interact with greater intensity at the UN, G20, SCO, BRICS, and other multilateral venues. We are working to align the integration potentials of the EAEU and Belt and Road with an eye to forming a Greater Eurasian Partnership. It is clear that our joint international steps help to reduce the conflict potential and promote a healthy atmosphere in the world.
I would like to express gratitude to our Chinese partners once again for their responsible and balanced approach to the Ukraine situation. In particular, we appreciate that our friends understand its prime causes, which consist in the West's years-long, deliberate disregard for Russia's vital security interests in the European and Eurasian region as a whole and in creating direct threats to our culture, traditions, and centuries-old civilisational ties in the Eurasian space. We see concordance between the main provisions of the Chinese position-stating document on Ukraine and our approaches to a settlement via removing the prime causes of the crisis, ensuring in practice the principle of indivisible security, and renouncing double standards and aggressive unilateral actions.
Colleagues,
The consolidated Russian-Chinese strategic tandem provides us with a good opportunity to ensure sustainable, comprehensive development for our countries and enhance the well-being of our citizens.
Chinese friends call Russian-Chinese relations "a rock in the middle of a stream." Accepting this figurative comparison, I would like to recall a verse by the great poet Li Bai: "As the monkeys cry ceaselessly on both banks, The light boat speeds past ten thousand peaks." So does the Russian-Chinese tandem, which surmounts obstacles despite everything and unstoppably advances along the route charted by our leaders.
I wish all participants in the conference fruitful and interesting discussions, and all the best.
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