“Dear friends, I am very happy to see you,” Putin said in some of the initial images of the videoconference, released by the Russian Presidency. “My old friend, I’m happy to have a second video conference with you this year,” Xi replied.

The Russian leader hopes to discuss “in depth” during the summit with Xi on Russia-China relations, the comprehensive partnership between the parties and their strategic cooperation. “I believe that our relationship is a real example of cooperation between countries in the 21st century,” said the Kremlin chief. Putin stressed that despite the epidemic situation, the leaders of Russia and China were in “permanent contact” and recalled the video conference they held last June.

“A new model of cooperation between our countries has been established based in particular on pillars such as non-intervention in internal affairs, respect for common interests and the determination to turn common borders into belts of lasting peace and good neighbours,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, China’s president said that although his country and Russia are not allies, the current state of their relationship “exceeds that level because of its effectiveness,” Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said at a telephone press conference at the end of the meeting. on. According to Ushakov, Putin won Xi’s support at the meeting in his bid to secure binding security guarantees from the West for Russia, in the context of its tensions with Ukraine.

Against “attempts to politicize Olympic sport and movement”

Similarly, the Russian president hopes to meet with Xi in February 2022, when he will visit Beijing on the occasion of the opening of the Winter Olympics, and expressed his rejection of “attempts to politicize Olympic sports and the movement.” Putin thus referred to the diplomatic boycott of JJs. OO. Beijing is announced by countries like the US, Canada, UK or Australia.

“I believe in February next year we will finally be able to meet face-to-face in Beijing. According to the agreement, we will carry out negotiations. Then we will participate in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics,” the Kremlin chief said.

He stressed that Russia and China support each other on the issue of international sports cooperation. “I have no doubt that the next Winter Olympics will be held at the highest level. China knows how to do it,” the Russian president said.

In turn, Xi indicated, according to a Russian translation, that he was “excitedly waiting for the Olympics meeting” with Putin. “I am ready to join hands with you, to open a new page together in post-pandemic Sino-Russian relations,” the Chinese president said.

The United States, Canada, Australia and Britain announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics over human rights abuses in China, a move also being studied by the European Union. For its part, Russia, sanctioned for state doping, will participate in the Beijing Olympics under the flag of the Russian Olympic Committee and when its athletes take to the podium instead of Russia’s national anthem, Concert No. 1 for the piano will be held hear Tchaikovsky.

Trade increase

At the summit, Xi also highlighted the increase in trade between Russia and China, which reached 100 billion dollars in the first nine months of this year, and thanked Moscow for resisting attempts to “push barriers” between China and China.

The summit between the leaders of Russia and China came shortly after the two leaders held a telematic meeting with their US counterpart Joe Biden. The conversation between Biden and Xi took place on November 15, while a virtual summit with Putin took place last week.
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