Putin's visit to Beijing should strengthen Russian-Chinese cooperation - Lavrov
MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax) - Moscow and Beijing play a balancing role in global affairs, and Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to China will strengthen cooperation between the two countries, acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"We and our Chinese counterparts are objectively interested in continuing to lead efforts towards establishing a more democratic and just global order," Lavrov said at the Federation Council on Tuesday.
The West "categorically rejects any equitable forms of cooperation in the international arena," he said.
"Russia and China are far from being alone in their efforts to have the international system reformed and facilitate the building of a multipolar global order that would reflect the real weight of states and their associations," he said.
"The Moscow-Beijing duo plays a crucial balancing role in global affairs," he said.
"I am sure that the Russian president's upcoming visit to the PRC will strengthen our joint work," Lavrov said.