China will make concrete efforts for political solution to Ukraine crisis -special envoy

[May 27, 2023]  BEIJING (Reuters) - China will make concrete efforts for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, the Chinese foreign ministry quoted special envoy Li Hui as saying on Saturday.
 
 China has always adhered to an objective and fair position on Ukraine, argued for peace and promoted talks, Li was quoted as telling Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Li, China's special representative for Eurasian affairs and former ambassador to Russia, held meetings and talks with Lavrov, and Deputy Foreign Ministers Andrey Rudenkon and Mikhail Galuzin.

The two sides exchanged views on China-Russia relations and a political settlement for the Ukrainian crisis and agreed

that President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Russia further deepened political mutual trust, China's foreign ministry said in a readout of the conversation.

Li's visit to Russia was the final stop in a multi-country tour that Beijing said was aimed at discussing a "political settlement" to the Ukraine crisis.

Li said China will strengthen exchanges and dialogues with all parties, including Russia, according to the readout from the foreign ministry.

"China has always followed the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, adhered to an objective and fair position, actively persuaded peace and promoted talks, decided its own position according to the merits of the matter itself, and always firmly stood on the side of peace and dialogue," Li was quoted as saying.

The two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral strategic coordination and exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

(Reporting by Ella Cao and Bernard Orr; Editing by Kim Coghill and Gerry Doyle)

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