Russia’s top lawmaker hails closer ties with China

Vyacheslav Volodin has claimed in a meeting with Xi Jinping that Moscow-Beijing relations are at the strongest point in history

Russian State Duma chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has led a parliamentary delegation to Beijing, vowing in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to strengthen cooperation between legislatures of the two nations as they work to implement the agreements reached by their heads of state. 

Volodin met with Xi on Wednesday in Beijing, where he claimed that Russia-China relations are at the strongest level in history. Xi told Volodin that legislative collaboration between the two countries, including use of parliamentary friendship groups and joint committees, will play a key role in ensuring long-term development of Russia-China ties.

“China is ready to work with Russia to continuously deepen our everlasting, good-neighborly friendship, comprehensive strategic cooperation and mutually beneficial cooperation,” Xi said. He added that such efforts will inject momentum into the “development and revitalization of the two countries and provide more prosperity and stability.”

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Xi’s remarks echoed his comments last month in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders have met face-to-face twice this year, reflecting strengthening ties between Moscow and Beijing amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

By providing legal support for bilateral efforts, lawmakers in both countries will help ensure success of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, the Chinese president said on Wednesday. He told Volodin that parliamentarians also will help deepen collaboration on such multilateral platforms as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20.

Volodin, who met on Tuesday with National People’s Congress Standing Committee chairman Zhao Leji, said the task of the two countries’ legislatures is to do their part to help implement the decisions made by their heads of state. “These relations are very important for us,” he said. “China is our neighbor, and we have been building relations for a long time, and we value them.” The State Duma is the lower house of the Russian parliament.

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Xi and Putin met on the sidelines of last month’s Belt and Road Forum in Beijing. The Russian leader also hosted a visit to Moscow by Xi in March. “In the current difficult conditions, close foreign policy coordination is especially required,” Putin said at the October meeting. “So, in terms of bilateral relations, we are moving forward very confidently.”

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