Moscow, Sept 21: Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was pleased to accept an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit China in October for the Belt and Road Forum, Russian State Media reported.
“I was certainly pleased to accept the Chinese president’s invitation to visit China in October as part of an event promoting the [Chinese] president’s idea of One Belt, One Road, which has turned into an international brand,” Putin pointed out during a meeting with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Director of the Office of the CPC Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, according to TASS. Putin emphasized that this visit aligns perfectly with the interests of both Russia and China, “as it harmonizes our ideas to create a vast Eurasian space.” “We are quite in sync,” he added. Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously stated that preparations were in progress for Putin’s visit to China, with the announcement of specific dates forthcoming. The Belt and Road Initiative, a concept introduced by Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to symbolically recreate the ancient Silk Road, providing China with access to markets in Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and other regions. The initiative also seeks to enhance international trade and investment projects involving a multitude of nations, utilizing both Chinese and foreign capital. To date, over 150 countries and international organizations have joined this initiative.
A couple of days back, North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia for a closely watched summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kim Jong Un’s visit to Russia marks his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic as during the pandemic, North Korea’s borders were sealed.