BELGRADE, July 16. /TASS/. Serbia can play an important role in the implementation of the Chinese "Belt and Road" initiative and contribute to the development of modern transport corridors through Eurasia, the ambassadors of Russia and China to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko and Li Ming said in a joint article published in the Belgrade newspaper Politika.

The top Russian and Chinese diplomats noted that the development of modern transport corridors through Eurasia serves the interests of a wide range of nations, including the Balkan countries. "Thanks to its favorable geographical position and transit potential, Serbia can play an important role in the development of Eurasian connectivity and the implementation of the [Chinese] 'Belt and Road' initiative. Participation in infrastructure and logistics projects opens additional prospects for economic growth, attracting investment and technological development," they said in the publication, timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Treaty on Good Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation between Russia and China.

Speaking about relations between Russia and China, the diplomats noted that Russian-Chinese "comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction" are based on the principles of "stability, predictability, and responsibility." "As permanent members of the UN Security Council, both our countries will remain firmly committed to maintaining the international system with the UN at its center, the world order based on international law, as well as the fundamental norms governing international relations in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," they emphasized.

"The establishment of such a just multipolar world order" opens up for Serbia and other countries "opportunities to strengthen sovereignty, preserve identity, develop the economy, and conduct an independent foreign policy while consistently upholding national interests," they stated. In this context, Russia and China, as the two envoys indicated, invariably emphasize the need to "find a sustainable and acceptable solution" regarding [the autonomous province of] Kosovo and Metohija, "which is of vital state importance for Serbia," based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244, with strict respect for Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "We are convinced that long-term stability in the Balkans can only be ensured through equal dialogue and the rejection of unilateral steps fraught with escalating tensions," the ambassadors emphasized.