CHANGSHA, October 18. /TASS/. China and Russia can jointly contribute to accelerating the process of resolving the Afghan conflict as well as other significant regional economic and security issues, Secretary General of the Global Economic Development and Security Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Zhou Wenzhong told TASS on Monday.
"We are keeping an eye on the recent developments in Afghanistan. I believe that China, together with Russia, can contribute to settling such regional security issues," the secretary general said.
The veteran Chinese diplomat noted that Beijing and Moscow could also jointly tackle some other essential tasks to maintain stability in Asia and the Middle East. "China and Russia are powerful nations that hold significant clout throughout the world. <...> Our countries are in close contact, which enables us to respond to the new challenges," the secretary general mentioned.
Wenzhong recalled that Asia-Pacific nations have been making significant contributions to the development of the global economy. According to the forum’s head, China and Russia can accelerate the pace of fulfilling this potential and thereby contribute to global development. He also emphasized the important role of the multilateral formats in bolstering Chinese-Russian cooperation, in particular, highlighting the Belt and Road Initiative.
"[The coordination of efforts between China and Russia on multilateral platforms] is another crucial incentive [for ensuring security and sustainable development of the global economy]," Wenzhong stated.
The first Global Economic Development and Security Forum of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is taking place in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, from October 18 to 20. According to the hosts, about 2,600 people from more than 50 countries - businessmen, reputable experts, and representatives of large companies and non-profit organizations - are participating in this large-scale event dedicated to maintaining overall sustainable growth amid the major global changes. During this conference, held in a hybrid format, such issues as sustaining effective international supply chains amid the pandemic, mitigating network risks, sharing experience on establishing free trade zones, coordinating multilateral efforts to counter climate change, and overcoming challenges in the field of energy are being addressed.