Russia and China on May 25 agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields and enhance joint efforts in coping with concerned issues on the international agenda.

In the context of improving Russian economy, Russia and China should maintain the development of pragmatic cooperation by way of promoting mutual communication and consultation between government departments, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the Kremlin, who was on an official visit to Russia.

The two countries should also work closely with each other within multilateral frameworks, including the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Group of 20 (G20), in resolving thorny issues and maintain global strategic stability, he added.

In addition, Putin warmly congratulated China for successfully hosting the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation earlier this month and expressed his welcome for Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia.

On his part, Wang pointed out that China and Russia agree with each other on development strategies and share broad prospects for bilateral cooperation.

He echoed Putin's appeal in saying that the two countries should further deepen cooperation in such fields as trade and investment and explore new sources of economic growth.

The two countries should also consolidate their strategic cooperation in international affairs and jointly promote the peaceful settlement of international and regional issues, Wang added.

(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2017)