Russia, China key in maintaining world stability: Russian FM

Moscow, Jan 18 (IANS) Russia and China, with their relationship at its best ever, have been one of the key factors in maintaining world stability, something the two countries will continue to uphold, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"Bilateral strategic cooperation and a comprehensive partnership, as well as working together on regional and global affairs, are on the rise," Lavrov said on Tuesday athis annual press conference in Moscow.

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in June 2016, a number of documents were signed between the two sides covering various fields from economic cooperation to joint work in global security, which the Russian top diplomat said shows "how much attention leaders of Russia and China pay to international issues", Xinhua news agency reported.

Regarding the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue, Lavrov said both Russia and China have promoted initiatives aimed at resuming negotiations to avoid the region becoming home to a "constant accumulation of threats".

Given how determined the international community is to deny Pyongyang's claims of being a nuclear power, Lavrov said that Russia and China have worked to stop the peninsula from deteriorating into a "disproportionate build-up of armaments" there.

"Russian and Chinese positions are absolutely identical. We try to convince all the other participants in the so-called six-party talks to assume the same approach," he added.

Besides at the United Nations, Russia and China also play an "important and active role" in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS bloc, particularly in promoting anti-terrorist campaigns, he added.