China, Ukraine pledge to strengthen cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met with his Ukrainian counterpart Pavlo Klimkin, with the two sides pledging to enhance cooperation.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and bilateral relations now enjoy a solid foundation, Wang said.

China is willing to deepen practical cooperation with Ukraine by seizing the opportunity of the Belt and Road Initiative and carry forward the strategic partnership between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, said Wang.

The Belt and Road Initiative, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, is aimed at building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road through concerted efforts of all related countries to benefit all participants by promoting unimpeded trade, financial integration, infrastructure inter-connectivity and closer people-to-people exchanges.

China supports a political settlement of the crisis in Ukraine through dialogue and negotiations on the basis of the new Minsk agreement, he said.

Klimkin said his country fully supports China's Belt and Road Initiative and is willing to deepen cooperation with China within this framework so as to push for practical results for bilateral relations.

Ukraine appreciates China's impartial stance on international and regional affairs and hopes China will play an even bigger role in efforts to solve Ukraine's crisis, he said.

The two foreign ministers are in New York for this year's General Debate of the UN General Assembly.