Xi, Putin vow support for nations' core interests

President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Thursday that China and Russia will work together to bolster bilateral cooperation, support each other on issues related to their own core interests and jointly uphold regional and global stability.

They made these pledges during a meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, their second this year, following a meeting in Beijing in February, when Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games.

During the meeting in Samarkand, Xi said that China and Russia have maintained effective strategic communication since the start of this year.

Bilateral cooperation in various fields has made steady progress, activities for the Year of Sports Exchanges have been conducted in an orderly manner, and subnational cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges have been strengthened, he said.

The nations have also maintained close coordination on the international stage to safeguard the basic norms governing international relations, Xi added.

As the world faces profound changes, Xi said that China stands ready to work with Russia to assume their responsibility as major countries, play a leading role and inject stability into a volatile world.

Xi also stressed that Beijing is willing to work with Moscow to support each other on issues concerning their own core interests and deepen their pragmatic cooperation in trade, agriculture and mutual connectivity.