Beijing ready to advance cooperation with Russia, Mongolia - Chinese premier

ISLAMABAD. Oct 16 (Interfax) - China stands ready to make joint efforts with Russia and Mongolia to enhance mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation and to strengthen coordination, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said.

"Amid this difficult and changeable international situation, it is important to increase and optimize our trilateral cooperation, which is the strategic choice made by our three countries taking their real national development needs into consideration," Li said at a trilateral meeting with the Russian and Mongolian prime ministers in Islamabad on Wednesday.

This cooperation matches these countries' shared goals and the imperatives of our time, he said.

"The Chinese side is ready to work with Russia and Mongolia to strengthen mutual trust, boost coordination, remove hurdles, and deepen and enrich trilateral cooperation for the benefit of our peoples," Li said.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia and China and Mongolia, as well as the 10th anniversary of the founding of the China-Russia-Mongolia trilateral format, he said.

"Therefore, our meeting today holds special symbolic and bonding significance. Over the past few years, we have managed to maintain the positive dynamics of the China-Russia-Mongolia trilateral format in general thanks to the strategic guidance and personal attention of the leaders of the three countries. It is in a practical, mutually beneficial and win-win manner that our countries have been working on the implementation of the roadmap for trilateral cooperation in the mid-term with a focus on strengthening coordination in priority projects as part of the construction of the China-Russia-Mongolia corridor," Li said.

Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, for his part, said that this trilateral mechanism at the level of heads of government enables more productive preparations for a meeting of the Mongolian, Russian and Chinese presidents and provides support for large-scale joint projects.

"Also, I'd like to congratulate you on the 85th anniversary of our common victory in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol. Mikhail Mishustin, I know that your grandfather fought in those battles," he said.