Greetings by Russian Defence Minister General of the Army S.K. Shoigu
Esteemed Minister!
Ni hao!
It is a pleasure to welcome you and the Chinese delegation to Moscow.
I would like to start by congratulating you on being appointed the People's Republic of China's Minister of Defence. I also want to wish you luck in your important position in defending the motherland, enhancing its defensive potential, and further modernising the People's Liberation Army of China.
I am confident that your considerable experience of interaction with the Russian Federation will contribute both to the development of the Armed Forces of the People's Republic of China and to the expansion of military cooperation between our countries.
We appreciate the fact that after your appointment as Minister of Defence you chose Russia as the first country for your international trip just as President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping did when he paid a state visit to our country in March.
The major political event in China-Russia relations this year was the Moscow summit.
Honourable Minister, your trip to Moscow is a result of important agreements between the President of Russia and the President of the People's Republic of China. On 16 April you were received by the President of the Russian Federation, which demonstrates a particularly trusting nature of our interstate relations.
In the spirit of unbreakable friendship between the nations, peoples, and the armed forces of China and Russia, I look forward to the closest and most successful cooperation with you.
The choices made by the leaders of Russia and China are defining long-term goals for security and national development against the backdrop of the developing global events.
President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping have confirmed that the Russia-China comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction are at the highest level.
They need to be developed with strong support for each other, including on issues of national security.
The joint statement of our leaders reflects agreements on both the political and practical sides of cooperation. It emphasizes the importance of strengthening military cooperation.
We can stabilise the global situation and lessen the potential for conflict by coordinating our actions on the global stage.
Such approaches are being implemented in preparing joint maritime and air patrols and military exercises, both in bilateral and multilateral formats - within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and ADMM+.
It is important that our countries share the same view on the ongoing transformation of the global geopolitical landscape.
The meeting we have today will, in my opinion, help to further solidify the Russia-China strategic partnership in the defence sphere and enable an open discussion of regional and global security issues.
Welcome to Moscow, to the Ministry of Defence!
Thank you!