Lavrov arrives in China on a two-day visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Beijing on Monday on an official two-day visit during which he seeks to enhance relations with China, Moscow's key diplomatic and economic partner, according to Moscow.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a post on X that Lavrov's plane landed in Beijing on Monday.

The ministry had announced in a statement on Sunday that Lavrov's visit would last until Tuesday and that he would meet in particular with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

The ministry explained in its statement that the ministers "will discuss a range of bilateral cooperation issues as well as cooperation on the international stage."

It added that "a deep exchange of views is scheduled on a number of +hot topics+" including "the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Asia-Pacific region."

Since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022, relations between Moscow and Beijing have significantly strengthened.

AFP