Putin, Xi begin online summit to address US actions
Moscow / Beijing, Dec 15 (EFE).- Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping began their online summit to address the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s actions as well as bilateral cooperation .
“Dear friend, I am very happy to see you,” Putin said in footage released by the Russian Presidency.
“My old friend, I am delighted to hold the second video conference with you this year,” Xi said in response.
The Russian leader said he hoped to discuss Russian-Chinese relations “in depth,” the comprehensive partnership between the parties and their strategic cooperation.
“I believe that our relations are a real example of interstate cooperation in the 21st century,” Putin said.
He added that despite the Covid-19 outbreak, Russia and China are “in permanent contact” and recalled the video conference they held in June.
“A new model of cooperation between our countries has been formed based in particular on such pillars as non-interference in internal affairs, respect for mutual interests and the determination to turn the common border into a belt of eternal peace and good neighborliness,” he said.
Putin said he hoped to meet Xi in February 2022, when he will visit Beijing to attend the Winter Olympics, and showed his rejection of “attempts to politicize sport and the Olympic movement.”
Putin was referring to the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics announced by countries such as the US, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Xi spoke about the increase in trade between Russia and China, which reached $ 100 billion in the first nine months of the year, and thanked Moscow for resisting attempts to “drive a wedge” between China and Russia.
The summit between the leaders comes shortly after both held online meetings with US President Joe Biden.
The conversation between Biden and Xi occurred on Nov. 15, while the virtual summit with Putin took place last week. EFE
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