Chinese, Ukrainian FMs meet on sidelines of UN General Assembly

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has pointed out that sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter must be fully observed, the legitimate security concerns of all countries must be taken seriously, and all efforts that are conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be supported, Wang said.

This is China's most authoritative exposition on the Ukraine issue, and it is also China's fundamental principle in viewing and handling this issue, Wang said, adding that as a responsible major country and permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has always been committed to promoting peace talks, never stands idly by, never adds fuel to the fire, and never takes advantage of the situation for self-interests.

China always stands on the side of peace, and will continue to play a constructive role, he said.

Wang also said that he thanked the Ukrainian government and people for their help and care during the evacuation of Chinese personnel in Ukraine, especially overseas students, which demonstrated the friendly feelings between the people of the two countries.

Noting that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine, he said that China is willing to take this opportunity to plan for the development of bilateral ties in the next stage, carry forward the traditional friendship and better benefit the people of the two sides.

For his part, Kuleba said Ukraine attaches importance to China's international status and important influence, and expects China to play an important role in alleviating the current crisis, adding that Ukraine is willing to conduct dialogue and negotiations in line with national interests.

Ukraine has always pursued the one-China policy, supported China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and looks forward to strengthening exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields, he said.