Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the partnership between Russia and China is one of the most important factors for stabilising international relations.
At Saturday's press conference, Putin said cooperation between the two countries is „an undoubted factor of deterrence and stability“ in global affairs. He said Moscow and Beijing are crucial to maintaining balance in world politics.
At the same time, the Russian President recalled that China is Russia's largest trade and economic partner. According to him, mutual trade is expanding and modern technologies and high-tech industry are playing an increasingly important role in it.
Putin also said that the two countries had reached a high level of consensus on the further development of cooperation in the oil and gas sector. He said Russia and China were ready to take another significant step forward in their energy partnership.
He also commented on the situation in Ukraine. Putin said he was willing to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not only in Moscow but also in a third country.
He stressed, however, that such a meeting would only be possible if all the essential points of the peace treaty were completed in advance.
„A meeting in a third country is possible, but only if a final agreement on a peace treaty is reached. The purpose of such a meeting would be to sign a final document, not to conduct the negotiations themselves,“ Putin said.
According to the Russian President, a possible peace agreement should be prepared with a long-term historical perspective in mind and should create a permanent basis for the future arrangement of relations between the two countries.