Top Chinese diplomat congratulates Russian counterpart on staying in office

BEIJING, January 22. /TASS/. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has extended his congratulations to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for keeping his top diplomat office. Wang Yi also expressed willingness to continue joint work to achieve greater progress in the bilateral relations. "Over many years the diplomatic agencies of both countries have maintained close contacts and played an important and constructive role in promoting joint interests of China and Russia as well as facilitated regional and global peace and stability," Xinhua News Agency quoted the Chinese diplomat as saying on Wednesday. "I highly appreciate the strong working relations and our friendship. I am ready to work with you to implement various vital agreements reached by the heads of states, to further strengthen mutual political trust and facilitate global strategic coordination with a view to achieve even greater progress in the development of the Chinese-Russian relations," he addressed Lavrov. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin presented a new cabinet lineup to President Vladimir Putin late on Tuesday. Putin issued and signed an executive order reappointing Lavrov as foreign minister, the post he has been continuously occupying since March 2004. Read more