Chinese, Mongolian FMs hold phone talks

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday held a phone conversation with Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg at the latter's request.

Wang said that not long ago, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene made a special trip to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, and that during their respective meetings with Oyun-Erdene, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang reached important consensus with him, injecting new impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

The more turbulent the international situation is, the more China and Mongolia, as close neighbors, should strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation, he added.

Echoing Wang's words, Battsetseg said that the Mongolian side is ready to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, keep close exchanges at different levels and strengthen communication and cooperation in various fields.

She said that the Mongolian side looks forward to giving full play to the Mongolia-China "green lanes" to further improve port operation capacity and shipment, and effectively cope with the negative impact caused by the spillover of the Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wang said that as good neighbors and friends, China and Mongolia have always stuck together through thick and thin and overcome difficulties together, and that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Mongolia on recovery and boost Mongolia's economic and social development.

Recently, the "green lanes" between China and Mongolia have been reopened, and positive progress has been made in railway transportation, road freight, customs clearance and energy and mineral trade, he said.

China is willing to work with Mongolia to speed up the construction of the China-Russia-Mongolia Economic Corridor and promote the connectivity of railway lines between China and Mongolia, Wang said.

China will continue to provide Mongolia with anti-epidemic materials and equipment, support the country's efforts in epidemic prevention and control and ensure the smooth operation of the border ports, he added.

The two sides agreed to continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, avoid external interference and promote healthy and stable development of bilateral relations.

Battsetseg said Mongolia respects China's core concerns, and will as always handle religious affairs independently.

The two sides also exchanged views on multilateral affairs. Battsetseg appreciated China's sense of responsibility as a major country in the fight against COVID-19 and the Ukraine crisis, and spoke highly of China's commitment to promoting peace talks, resolving differences and providing humanitarian assistance.

Wang stressed that the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis have an impact on normal economic and social affairs of all countries, and Asian countries should strengthen communication and coordination to jointly safeguard regional peace, stability and development.