BELGRADE, March 22. /TASS/. The meeting between the leaders of Russia and China, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, is aimed at creating a new multipolar world order, a former foreign minister of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Zivadin Jovanovic, told TASS in a commentary to TASS on Tuesday.

"I believe that President Xi’s official multi-day visit to Russia and his talks with President Vladimir Putin were a first-class world event. I am certain that their talks will have a great positive impact as a plan to further expand bilateral cooperation, to strengthen their strategic partnership without restrictions, and still more successful coordination of joint efforts towards accelerating positive global changes and creating a new multipolar world order based on the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs and peaceful coexistence. I am convinced that their negotiations will contribute to further strengthening multilateral institutions such as the SCO, BRICS, the EAEU, the New Development Bank, and new mechanisms for international settlements without intermediaries. Of particular importance is the positive reaction to and consent with President Xi Jinping's initiative to resolve the situation in Ukraine through dialogue, taking into account the root problems and the principle of equitable security," Jovanovic said.

"I believe that the negotiations between the leaders of Russia and China as two world powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council will be welcomed by all peace-minded countries and forces around the world, especially the countries of the Global South, which were the hardest-hit by colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism and neo-racism, as well as the globalization of NATO’s US-led armed interventionism. I believe that all peace-minded forces of the world will interpret the talks of the two leaders in Moscow as an example of behavior in the face of global tensions and as an encouragement and catalyst for the democratization of global relations," the retired politician said.

Serbia's position

Jovanovic believes that the rapprochement between Russia and China strengthens Serbia’s position on the issue of Kosovo, which is under unprecedented pressure from the West.

"Russia and China are Serbia's strategic partners and, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, they furnish the strongest and most reliable support for Serbia's efforts to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolve the issue of the status of the province of Kosovo and Metohija in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter, UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and Serbia’s Constitution. Serbia is under unprecedented pressure from the West, which is determined to force it to give up part of its territory so that this illegal entity can become a NATO member or unite with Greater Albania as soon as possible. This behavior by the West has nothing to do with the search for a balanced, fair and stable solution that would meet the interests of lasting peace and security in the Balkans and throughout Europe, but is motivated by the same aims that were behind NATO’s US-led criminal aggression exactly 24 years ago. These aims are to capture part of the territory of the Serbian state, turn it into a base of US troops, expand NATO to the east, establish direct NATO control over all the Balkans and carry out the region’s further militarization," the expert recalled.

In his opinion, "the strengthening of strategic relations between Russia and China, the harmonization of their activities at the regional and global levels is a positive development and a source of inspiration for all countries and peoples fighting for the principles of the UN Charter.".