MOSCOW, June 29. /TASS/. Russia and China have pointed to the need to continue efforts aimed at preventing an arms race in space and to launching negotiations as soon as possible on a legally binding, multilateral instrument in this area, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Thursday.

"The sides pointed to the need to continue close cooperation and active joint efforts toward preventing an arms race in outer space and the weaponization of space. They emphasized the importance of the early start of negotiations on a legally binding, multilateral instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space on the basis of the draft Russian-Chinese treaty. [They] also pointed to the need for an international initiative or political commitment not to place weapons in space first," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement following Russia-China interdepartmental consultations on space security held in Moscow.

According to the diplomats, the meeting confirmed the unity of the approaches taken by Russia and China in the area of space security. "The need for further close coordination in this area at specialized multilateral platforms was noted," the Foreign Ministry concluded.