Russia’s Lavrov Arrives in Beijing for Talks

(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov touched down in Beijing on Tuesday for a high-stakes official visit, arriving at a moment of acute global tension following the collapse of US-Iran negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend and Washington's subsequent move to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Lavrov's arrival in a statement issued Monday, announcing that the top diplomat would convene talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, covering a sweeping agenda that spans bilateral cooperation, multilateral coordination, and some of the world's most volatile flashpoints.

According to the ministry, the two foreign ministers are set to address the full spectrum of Russo-Chinese relations — including prospects for engagement at various diplomatic levels — while aligning their positions within key multilateral frameworks, among them the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS.

"A detailed exchange of views is expected on a number of hot topics and regional issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Middle East," the ministry's statement added.

The visit unfolds against a rapidly deteriorating backdrop in the Middle East. Weekend negotiations held in Islamabad — aimed at halting the US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which has killed more than 3,300 people since February 28 — ended without resolution, despite a fragile two-week ceasefire brokered just days prior. US President Donald Trump moved swiftly thereafter, declaring a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that came into force at 1400 GMT Monday.

The timing of Lavrov's Beijing trip carries unmistakable strategic undertones. Both Russia and China voted last week to defeat a UN Security Council resolution concerning the Strait of Hormuz — a coordinated move that underscored the deepening alignment between Moscow and Beijing in opposition to Washington's posture in the region.

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