Vice-Foreign Minister of Russia Yury Fedotov paid a working visit to Beijing on Thursday and Friday to discuss the Iraq war, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met with Fedotov, and Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Guangya held consultations with Fedotov.
According to the ministry, China and Russia expressed deep concern over the ongoing Iraq war and anxiety over the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. Both sides stressed that international humanitarian laws should be completely adhered to.
In recent months, the two countries had persisted in trying for a political solution to the Iraq crisis. Both sides held that the war against Iraq was expanding beyond the regional scope, which would possibly affect the security, stability and development of the region and the world at large.
The two sides called on relevant countries to stop military actions and return to the right track of a political solution to the Iraq issue.
The two sides stressed the United Nations should continue to play a central role in stopping the conflict and completely resolving the Iraq issue. The UN participation should be in line with resolutions adopted by the Security Council earlier on disarmament, sanctions and humanitarian plans, as well as new resolutions that may be passed on future developments.
Both sides expressed identical views on the current situation in Iraq and agreed to continue their joint efforts for resuming the process of seeking a political solution to the Iraq issue within the framework of the United Nations.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2003)
