MOSCOW: Russia and China have agreed to jointly combat with the threats emerging after evolving situation from Afghanistan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, on the need to prevent instability from spreading to other parts of the region, said a statement issued by Kremlin.
In a phone call, the two leaders “expressed their readiness to step up efforts to combat threats of terrorism and drug trafficking coming from the territory of Afghanistan,” the Kremlin said.
According to international media reports, Putin and Xi “agreed to intensify bilateral contacts” and “make the most of the potential” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) that is due to convene for a summit in Tajikistan next month.
Several ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia — where Moscow holds military bases — share a border with Afghanistan and China. While Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new leadership in Kabul, Putin has warned of Afghan militants entering neighbouring countries as refugees.
The two leaders also spoke about the coronavirus situation, with Jinping saying that China is ready to work with Russia to deepen cooperation on vaccine development and production and ensure the safety and stability of the global supply chain for vaccines, to protect the lives and health of the two peoples and contribute to the building of a community of common health for mankind.
“Only the wearer knows whether the shoes fit or not,” Xi stressed, saying that it is the people of the two countries who have the most say about which system works in their own country. “As comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, China and Russia should deepen cooperation against interference and firmly hold their respective national future in their own hands,” Xi said.
He said China firmly supports Russia in pursuing a development path that suits its national conditions, and firmly supports Russia’s measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and security.
Read more: Putin phones PM Imran Khan to discuss evolving situation in Afghanistan
