BEIJING, April 5 (Reuters) - China is willing to continue to cooperate with Russia at the U.N. Security Council and make efforts to cool down the Middle East situation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told
China ready to cooperate with Russia to ease Middle East tension, foreign minister says
China and Russia's Diplomatic Efforts in the Middle East
Continued Cooperation at the U.N. Security Council
BEIJING, April 5 (Reuters) - China is willing to continue to cooperate with Russia at the U.N. Security Council and make efforts to cool down the Middle East situation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call on Sunday.
Advocating Political Settlement and Ceasefire
Wang said the fundamental way to resolve navigation issues in the Strait of Hormuz is to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, adding that China has always advocated political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation.
Upcoming U.N. Security Council Vote
The foreign ministers' call came ahead of a U.N. Security Council vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Statements from China and Russia
China's Objective and Balanced Approach
As permanent UNSC members, China and Russia should "adopt an objective and balanced approach and seek to win greater understanding and support from the international community," Wang told Lavrov, according to a statement from his ministry.
Russia's Perspective on the Situation
A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said the ministers discussed ways to achieve a rapid ceasefire and "launch a political-diplomatic dialogue."
Shared Approaches on Global Issues
"Satisfaction was expressed at the coincidence in Russia's and China's approaches on most issues on the global agenda, including the situation around Iran, related to the unprovoked aggression of the U.S. and Israel against that country," it said.
China's Call for Ceasefire in the Gulf Region
China has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the Gulf region and Middle East, urging an end to the fighting that has run for more than a month and largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping artery for oil and gas.
(Reporting by Shi Bu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Mark Porter)
