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Russia-China deal on notifying of missile launches shows mutual trust, Moscow says

A protocol was signed to prolong the agreement for a new ten-year period

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. The prolongation of the Russia-China intergovernmental agreement on notifying of ballistic missile and space rocket launches for 10 years shows that the relations between both states are based on trust, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

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"In the years the agreement has been active, it has proven to be efficient, facilitating further strengthening of mutual trust and ensuring that the relations between the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China have become more open," the ministry stressed.

"A protocol was signed to prolong the agreement for a new ten-year period. This shows the trusting nature of Russian-Chinese relations and helps maintain global security and stability," the ministry stated.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added that the agreement’s goal was to establish a mechanism of mutual notification of ballistic and space rocket launches in order to avoid misunderstandings and unexpected incidents.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Chinese colleague Wei Fenghe signed the agreement’s extension protocol.

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