Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted the invitation extended by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to attend the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.
"In the course of the conversation, President Vladimir Putin was delighted to accept Xi Jinping’s invitation to the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing in February 2022," Lavrov said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
"Of course, we hope that the summit will be held in person and that Chinese and Russian athletes will once again prove their highest sports and human qualities," Lavrov asserted.
In the same vein, he highlighted the historic significance of the Russian-Chinese treaty on friendship. "We are glad to be meeting once again in the year of the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.”
“Our leaders adopted a special statement on this topic on June 28, 2021, where they praised the historic importance of this treaty and especially its role in forming the modern model of bilateral relations," the Russian minister said.
Meantime, Moscow and Beijing are engaged in regular contacts at the highest level as well as between diplomatic agencies and heads of governments.
The minister noted that five inter-governmental commissions on the level of deputy prime ministers were active. "Today, we can discuss the state of the bilateral relations and tasks for the near future. It is vital to exchange opinions on regional issues.”
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