MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Preparations for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing in early February continue but the Kremlin is ready to show flexibility depending on the coronavirus situation, Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
"Preparations for the trip are underway albeit under very difficult conditions. Our Chinese comrades are certainly paying full attention to ensuring sanitary security. In this regard, additional requirements are emerging in terms of the need to ensure sanitary security and we are discussing them with our Chinese partners," he stressed.
Peskov was hopeful that "God willing, everything will go according to plan" despite the spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain across the world. "At least, we are making preparations," he insisted.
The Kremlin spokesman specified that it remained to be seen if the visit to China would take place in a restricted form as was the case with the Russian leader’s trip to India. "We don’t know yet. We are making preparations for full-scale talks. There will be a delegation, and besides, the president will attend the opening ceremony [of the Beijing Olympic Games]. This is what the preparations are being made for," Peskov said.
When asked if the spread of Omicron could affect the president’s plans, the Kremlin spokesman emphasized that Moscow "is ready to act in an energetic and flexible manner." "You can see that the situation is rapidly changing and we need to promptly react to it," he emphasized. Peskov added that the possibility of inviting a limited number of reporters from the Kremlin’s pool to cover Putin’s work in Beijing was under consideration.