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The participants discussed different issues of bilateral relations.

The Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to China Andrei Denisov. The Chinese delegation included Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Russia Li Hui, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui and Director-General of the Department of European-Central Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sun Linjiang.

Earlier today, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks in Sochi with his Chinese counterpart.

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Beginning of conversation with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Minister, friends,

We are very happy to see you. I know that you have already had detailed talks with the Foreign Minister of Russia, your friend.

But at the beginning of our conversation I would like to convey my best wishes to my friend for his warm reception in Beijing during a major international conference devoted to the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative, mostly its economic aspect.

I would like to emphasise once again that we consider this initiative very productive, interesting and significant. We believe that it fully fits in with the integration association that is being established in the post-Soviet space by Russia and its partners. I am referring to the EAEU.

The talks that are now being conducted between the People’s Republic of China and the EAEU are certainly an element in the implementation of the ideas we discussed in Beijing.

I would like to congratulate you once again on the successful holding of this major international event and express hope that on a bilateral plane Russia and China will make a very tangible contribution to the implementation of these plans.

As for bilateral relations, they are being successfully developed in the most literal meaning of this word. I know that the main goal of your visit today is to coordinate the basic parameters of this year’s main event in bilateral relations. I am referring to the state visit of President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to Russia, which we are looking forward to. I believe we will be discussing this with you today.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi (retranslated):Thank you, Mr President, for finding the time to meet with us.

First of all, let me pass along greetings from your great friend, Mr Xi Jinping. He highly appreciated your recent visit to Beijing for the 2^nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Your participation made a great contribution to the success of the forum. The President is also pleased with the results of your meeting with him on the sidelines of the forum which further consolidated bilateral trust. This is also very important for our joint celebrations of the 70^th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.

The 70^th anniversary is an important symbol for further developing bilateral relations. President Xi Jinping’s state visit is coming up. My great friend Foreign Minister [Sergei] Lavrov and I compared notes on this. We will take the preparations seriously.

I have three hopes. The first one is that the leaders of our two countries will fully consider the good experience of the 70-year development of bilateral relations to raise them to new heights and will open a new chapter and a new epoch in the history of our bilateral relations.

My second hope is that under your guidance all agencies and ministries will continue to be able to reinforce mutual trust and mutual support and prove to the world that our relations are not vulnerable to obstruction or outside interference and that we will always maintain the rapid pace at which our bilateral relations are progressing.

And thirdly, we hope that under the guidance of our two leaders our practical cooperation in all fields will advance toward new horizons and that our mutual trust will yield tangible benefits to the people of both nations in the interests of the development and prosperity of our countries.

Today is an excellent opportunity to hear your valuable opinion about the President’s forthcoming visit and celebrations of the 70^th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations.

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