Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday lauded Chinese President Xi Jinping for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extended invitation for global investment in the Northern Sea route which he said could deepen trade between east and west, as reported by the news agency Reuters. Notably, this is Putin’s second known trip outside the former Soviet Union since the war with Ukraine. Putin warmly referred to Xi as his “dear friend" and lauded the Belt and Road Initiative for bringing the world together.
"Russia and China, like most countries of the world, share the desire for equal, mutually beneficial cooperation in order to achieve universal sustainable and long-term economic progress and social well-being, while respecting the diversity of civilization and the right of each State to its own development model," Putin said, as quoted by Reuters.
Speaking during his visit to China, the Russian President expressed gratitude and thanked the Chinese President for his invitation and said Russia could play a key role in China's modern-day revival of the ancient Silk Road. Shortly before Putin started speaking, a handful of European delegates, including former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, walked out of the room, a Reuters witness said.
Putin also said that Russia does not just offer active usage of its transit potential but also invites interested states to participate directly in its development.
"As for the Northern Sea Route, Russia does not just offer its partners to actively use its transit potential, I will say more: we invite interested states to participate directly in its development, and we are ready to provide reliable ice breaker navigation, communication, and supply," Putin said, as quoted by Reuters.
"Starting next year, navigation for ice-class cargo ships along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route will become year-round," he added. Putin, who took part in previous BRI summits, brought a senior delegation from Moscow.
Among the senior Russian officials were Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, his top oil and gas point man, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, as reported by Reuters.
The delegation from Moscow also encompassed a range of other notable figures, including Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin economic advisor Maxim Oreshkin, Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov, and Igor Morgulov, Russia's ambassador to China.