Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, Meets with Kim Jong-un and Holds Talks with Wang Yi on Korean Peninsula Issues

[Financial News] The foreign ministers of China and Russia met again in Beijing on the 13th, just three days after meeting in Malaysia, to discuss issues such as the Korean Peninsula situation and relations with the United States.
Russian state-run TASS news agency and others quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying, "On this day, Wang Yi, Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China and Foreign Minister, exchanged views with Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, on the Korean Peninsula situation, relations with the United States, prospects for ending the war in Ukraine, and the Iranian nuclear issue." The specific details of the conversation between the two foreign ministers were not disclosed.
However, it is predicted that Lavrov shared the results of his visit to North Korea, including a courtesy call on Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, and talks with Choe Son-hui, Foreign Minister, as he visited China immediately after visiting North Korea.
During the talks, Director Wang stated, "China-Russia relations are the most stable, mature, and strategically valuable major power relations in the world today," adding, "The current focus is on preparing for high-level exchanges in the next stage, deepening comprehensive and strategic cooperation, promoting each other's development and rejuvenation, and jointly responding to the challenges of a chaotic and changing world."
Director Wang also said, "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and both sides should hold the 80th anniversary celebration of the victory in World War II well to preserve the correct historical narrative of World War II."
He added, "The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an important platform for promoting the unity of the Global South," and "I hope to prepare well for the SCO summit to be held in Tianjin this fall together with member countries, including Russia."
In response, Minister Lavrov said, "I hope Russia will deepen cooperation with China in various fields and push for continuous new achievements in bilateral relations." He added, "Russia will also strengthen communication and cooperation within the framework of the SCO and promote the successful hosting of the Tianjin summit."
Meanwhile, the SCO is a political, economic, and security consultative body led by China and Russia. It originated from the 'Shanghai Five' meeting, established in 1996 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to promote military disarmament and regional cooperation in border areas. Uzbekistan joined, and it was launched as the SCO in June 2001. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, Iran joined in 2023, and Belarus became a full member last year, increasing the number of member countries to 10.
whywani@fnnews.com Hong Chae-wan Reporter