Beijing, 18 August 2021 (TDI): The Foreign Minister of China and Russia, Wang Yi and Sergey Lavrov had a detailed phone conversation where they talked about regional and international issues especially the Afghan issue, discussed the issue of politicization of COVID, and the issues of mutual interest including the legacy of their history.
Talking about the Afghan issue Wang Yi mentioned that it is important for Russia and China to enhance their cooperation in 3 major things. Firstly, Russia and China should support each other and their respective interests in Afghanistan and jointly encourage the Taliban in Afghanistan to assume duties and properly protect the safety of people, institutions, and businesses of China and Russia. Secondly, Russia and China should urge the Taliban to ensure an inclusive political structure and to keep a cooperative policy towards the neighbors. And lastly, both states should prompt the Taliban to refrain from any terrorist activity and protect Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorists. Lavrov in response reaffirmed Russia’s support for China.
During the call, both states also recalled the history of world war 2 where they participated as allies. Wang Yi highlighted the sacrifices Beijing and Moscow gave to maintain global peace during that time. Lavrov also remembered the history with Wang and mentioned that China and Russia are committed to working together to safeguard “the truth of history, human dignity, and WWII achievements”.
The politicization of COVID was also under discussion. Wang Yi, while highlighting strategic coordination between the two countries, appreciated Russia by saying that Russia opposed the politicization of origin tracing of COVID-19, and was among those states who declared a joint statement and also sent a separate letter in this regard to the World Health Organization.
