MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting with China’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs Li Hui thanked Beijing for its balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"Pointing to Li Hui's personal contribution to strengthening Russia-China comprehensive strategic cooperation, the minister welcomed his arrival in Moscow in his new capacity," the statement said.

"An exchange of views on the situation around Ukraine and the prospects for resolving the conflict took place," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Friday, "Sergey Lavrov thanked the Chinese side for its balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis and praised Beijing's readiness to play a positive role in its settlement."

The ministry pointed out that the top Russian diplomatr confirmed Moscow's commitment to a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict, "noting the serious obstacles created by the Ukrainian side and its Western handlers for resuming the peace talks."

The Russian diplomats also pointed out that both sides expressed their readiness to further strengthen Russian-Chinese foreign policy cooperation, "invariably aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world as a whole."

Li Hui's trip to Moscow was part of the European tour of a delegation of Chinese diplomats to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin reported that the Chinese envoy would visit Russia, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and France. On May 16-17, Li Hui also visited Kiev.