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Russian Defense Minister discussing security problems, defense cooperation in Beijing

Sergei Shoigu noted relations of friendship and partnership between Russian and Chinese leaders

BEIJING, November 23. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is visiting China, on Wednesday had a meeting with the Vice-Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, Gen Xu Qiliang, in the course of which he proposed to have a detailed discussion of the situation in Syria, Iraq and Libya, as well as the prospects for bilateral cooperation in the military sphere and in defense-related technologies.

"Conflicts go on unabated and the scars that have appeared in Central and Eastern Asia don't heal," Shoigu said. "Standing out is everything that's happening in North Africa and the Middle East and I certainly mean Syria and what's going on in Iraq and Libya."

"I hope we'll have an opportunity today to discuss the pressing problems in the sphere of security in the region and in other parts of the world," he said. "I think we'll have an opportunity to sum up the results of the past twelve months and to put forward the tasks for next year."

"Unfortunately, the world hasn't become any safer (over the twelve months - TASS) and new risks and challenges have appeared in it," Shoigu said.

He also said Wednesday’s meeting offered a chance to make new steps in cooperation in defense and related technologies.

Along with it, Shoigu noted relations of friendship and partnership between Russian and Chinese leaders. "They testify to the encouraging and broad prospects opening up to us."

The results of meetings that the Russian and Chinese Presidents held in Beijing and in Peru "prove there’s still much for us to do as regards the expansion of our cooperation in defense and especially in the field of assuring security," Shoigu said.

He voiced the hope that Xu Qiliang’s trips to different Russian cities and manufacturing enterprises, which the Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission made last year.

"Hopefully, it will help us to move forward in the sphere of defense cooperation and in the exchange of the highest technologies in armaments," Shoigu said.

Each year, the overall package of Russian-Chinese agreements in defense cooperation makes it possible to move forward "in terms of both the number of agreements and the amounts of technologies purchased and supplied," he said.

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