Belt and Road summit: Putin set to meet ‘dear friend’ Xi

On his second official trip outside the former Soviet Union since the Ukraine conflict, President Vladimir Putin praised Chinese President Xi Jinping for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extended an invitation for worldwide investments in the Northern Sea route.

Putin expressed that Russia and China, much like many other nations globally, have a common aspiration for fair and mutually advantageous collaboration to foster enduring economic growth and societal prosperity on a global scale. This should be done while acknowledging the diversity of civilizations and the right of each state to pursue its own development model.

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Putin Leads Moscow Delegation at BRI Summit, Emphasizes Trade Prospects

Putin, who has participated in previous Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) summits, led a notable delegation from Moscow to this event. He underscored the prospects of boosting trade between Eastern and Western regions. Additionally, Putin expressed appreciation for Xi’s invitation and underscored Russia’s capacity to make a substantial contribution to China’s modern reimagining of the historical Silk Road.

Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that “China and Russia have sustained strong and efficient strategic alignment, and bilateral trade has reached an all-time peak,” as reported by Reuters.

Xi emphasized that “the ongoing growth in political mutual trust between the two nations is a constant trend,” as quoted by state news agency Xinhua. During Putin’s speech, a small European delegation, including former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, reportedly left the room, according to a Reuters observer.

Putin expressed that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aligned with Russia’s interests, particularly as the country was actively developing an extensive network of transportation infrastructure that spans its vast territory. This infrastructure includes the Northern Sea Route, which extends from Murmansk, near Russia’s border with Norway, to the Bering Strait near Alaska.

Regarding the Northern Sea Route, Putin emphasized that Russia is not only encouraging its partners to make full use of its transit capabilities. It is also extending an invitation to interested countries to directly engage in its development.

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